Mannfreeed!
by Morality is a Spook
Summary: Under a shattered moon the mightiest of vamires bare their fangs against the Wizard and the Witch. Mortals live their short lives under the bliss of the masquarade, yet the masks have to come off at the end. Let the Totentanz begin! Of course this was all Mannfred's fault to begin with! Von Carsteins in another world!
1. Prologue:Vampire Isekai

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure who continuously failed to assassinate all Sigmarite priests who invaded my domains, until he redeemed himself by single handedly decimating Brettonian keeps in my next major offensive.**_

_After playing Mortal Empires in TW:Warhammer 2 with our protagonists I really couldn't resist._

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings.**

_Prologue: Just because you're in another world doesn't mean you have to give up on your world conquest!_

"That sack of shit"

"Honey."

"egg-headed backstabber"

"Darling…"

"Should've throttled him in the moment I felt a whiff of ambition in his breath"

"VLAD!" The Vampire Count stopped his tirade. This of course was the voice of reason in him, the lovely and deadly Isabella von Carstein, his second undead wife. What happened to the first Vlad knew all too well, but now Queen Neferata was the least of his worries as the predicament they found themselves in was worlds away from that particular problem.

"Sorry my love, but you must realize how perilous is the situation at hand" the vampire waved at the permanent twilight that permeated across the land. Sharp mountains littered the sight before them, and the barren ground was pierced by violet crystals. Even the Chaos Wastes paled in the taint of this land. His better half scoffed at him, while her two fearful attendants and favourite bed warmers stood as far as possible from the Vampire Lord in dread terror. To Isabella it seemed that this unfortunate turn of events was just that, an unfortunate turn of events and there was no reason for her to worry but to accept her fate.

"We were at the cusp of victory! I had the little bastard by the throat" Vlad continued to seethe and kicked the dirt in front of him, tearing chunks and launching them farther in the distance.

"Yet with some strange magic he threw us here. Secured his rule for all time" Isabella stood up from the rock she had situated herself on and reached for the goblet in her handmaidens arms "I don't see no reason why you should waste your energy on something you cannot change"

The vampiress took a large sip and smiled as she saw the blood fill the cup once more.

"At least not now." A small trail of blood dripped from her chin and onto the black sand below as Vlad pinched the ridge of his brow and sighed loudly before reaching for the cup his wife held out to him. He paid no mind to the wallflowers next to her and greedily accepted the cup and drank.

The smell of blood tingled his vampiric senses and with great relish he drank. The vampire drank until his bloodlust was sated, his crimson eyes returned to their original dark colour and no longer he raged at the world, instead looking pensively at the wasteland in front of him.

"Come you two" he beckoned the other two women, who still stared at him apprehensively, as if waiting the Vampire Lord in front of them to transform back into his more monstrous form and try to rip them apart in his now ungovernable rage.

"Master" Melissa Rhatep, former daughter of the rebellious baron of Tepenhoff, bowed yet remained in her place afraid of their sire's husband, for his rage as sudden as it had been, was unpredictable.

"And you, Emanuelle?" he asked the vampires besides Melissa. When the other girl shook her head in solidarity with her 'sister'. The Von Carstein sighed and shook his head, before beckoning the girls once more.

"Do not waste blood what I offer you, childe" he took another sip and took a step towards them, the expression of amicability on his face. For the first time since their mortal lives the sisters recalled why the entire province of Sylvania had fallen in love with the charismatic monster.

"After all, you two girls are the reason why we walk underneath the shroud of night again" spoke Isabella and the two vampires blushed lightly at the praise their mistress showed them.

"Come now!" Vlad beckoned for the last time, though this time Melissa and Emanuelle didn't refuse. Despite the stoicism with their new predicament the sisters were starving for blood as the battle for Castle Drakenhoff had been gruelling for all of them. Especially since it had been their mastery over the winds of magic that made the resurrection of the Von Carsteins possible. Too much had been done to bring them back, only to blow up in their faces like that.

The last remaining Posner reached for the chalice only for the Rhatep heiress to snatch the cup first and drink deeply from it. The chalice of Batori was no average artefact, for the retrieval of the mythical cup had been the second hardest challenge the sisters had faced. Yet despite all the troubles they faced including a brief, but terrifying encounter with the Blood Dragon himself, the blood tasted divine. Immediately all of the fatigue and paranoia that had crept up vanished like dust in the wind. Not finished with her drink, the cup was snatched from her hands and Emanuelle drank again.

Brushing the droplets of blood from her cheek she turned to Vlad.

"What shall we do now master?" she looked at him with her green eyes in a silent plea looking for an answer. All those centuries spent to bring him back had only been done so that they would have someone to lead them again. Now that they were back there was no question if the women should defer to the older vampires. They had loyalty unlike the others of Von Carstein line.

In Vlad's hands a small ball of magic made manifest as he muttered an invocation of the lore of wind and a small ball of air swirled into the palm of his hand before sizzling out. The vampire's brows furrowed, and he muttered again with more authority and made the additional hand signs, yet the spell still dissipated when it formed.

"What?!" in surprise the vampire muttered and tried again.

And again.

And again.

Each time the globe grew weaker and weaker, before in the last attempt the small ball of wind turned to a mere vapour that vanished into the thin air. With each attempt a vicious fury arose in the ancient fiend. Clouds moved, though not by any wind of magic surrounding him, but by the innate of his bloodline. The thunder of feet, claws and tails could be heard in the distance. Isabella immediately rose from her impromptu throne and drew her sword, while her handmaidens followed their mistress and drew her own weapons. In the distance like a black avalanche, the beasts approached.

While his wife and retainers prepared for the inevitable battle, Vlad von Carstein was lost in an ingovernable rage. Why didn't the stupid magic work, the ancient vampire wasn't sure as even the most corrupted places in the world one could cast magic even with the saturation of Dhar. Yet here he could sense the winds; however weak they were. His mind couldn't comprehend what could be clouding his senses. He was no hedge sorcerer or a novice who had cast his first fireball, he was Vlad von Carstein who had raised legions of undead and almost claimed the seat of Altdorf for his own!

His magic was not the issue, damn it! This strange world was the problem! He could summon the power that lied dormant in his blood with no problems, yet a mere spell of pointing the direction of the nearest large body of water couldn't be summoned.

"Vlad!" a voice called and immediately his rage was quelled. Isabella called, strangely enough her voice was full of…fear. Faster than any mortal man could react, he whipped around and drew his sword.

The transformation of the vampire that was Vlad von Carstein was beautiful to behold. Beautiful and terrible as his teeth lengthened into fangs, his hair flew back in an unruly mane , hands turned into razor sharp claws and his eyes shone crimson with malice at anything that had dared to trouble his wife. He let out an ungodly roar and stared down the approaching force.

Now truly he believed that he was on foreign shores as the horde of beasts that assailed them were …wrong… in the basest sense of the word. Pitch black fur that seemed more like a cloak while bone like plates covered different body parts , with red marks on the bone plating. There were giant carrion birds, elephants and even a different strain of squigs, yet all of them were alike in this unnaturalness.

"Bella, pass me the Chalice, my love" Vlad spoke calmly and immediately in his hands rested the artefact. With no hesitation, Vlad channelled the sorceries innate in the blood of all von Carstein vampires and ensorcerelled a mighty storm.

The clouds brewed into the storm, but these beasts seemed to have no caution of their mortal kin, as they ignored the unnatural storm and continued to charge their prey. Yet instead of a simple prey who would cover, the vampires stood their ground.

Despite their lightly armoured dresses they were too agile for beasts to lay a finger on them. Swords gleamed in lightning that was called down from the skies.

Melissa bisected a huge wolf with her halberd, while another crept upon her, only to be torn to shreds with the hooked whip Emanuelle used. While Vlad casted his sorcery upon the battlefield, Isabella proved just why she had been chosen as his better half, by laughing with cruelty as her sword found throats, hearts and eyes of the beasts that dared to touch what was hers.

Black liquid oozed from their wounds as their bodies evaporated and the immortal countess managed to swipe a droplet, before spitting it out immediately as it was the nastiest thing imaginable, yet she didn't hesitate and jumped back into the fray, killing and maiming equally.

While Vlad summoning storm to end all storms, he kept one eye on the battlefield as the beasts were an unstoppable black tide that sought to devour them all to devour them all. He gritted his teeth and unleashed Bloodrinker with his free hand, allowing the enchanted blade to fell dozens of beasts with one swing. Yet while he was looking at the most immediate foes, he forgot that there might have been airborne foes and paid for this dearly as he saw his concentration wane as he was lifted into the air by what appeared to be the largest dragon he had ever seen in his large unlife.

Caught in the claw of the beast, the Count refused to be beaten and clamped the chalice to his waist, before pulling out his sword. One hand on the sword and the other clinging around the beast, Vlad stabbed the claw that kept him imprisoned and enjoyed the little resistance its hide gave to the enchanted blade. With a vicious smirk and hair flowing in the wind, the former Count of Sylvania sheathed his sword and drew a pair of daggers from his belt and before starting his climb looked down.

While the fall might not kill him, Vlad would rather do without needless harm.

As the von Carstein continued his fight with the dragon. Isabella was going berserk. No longer she carefully used her mist form to evade claws and teeth, instead the monster that once had been the most beautiful woman in the Empire cut as clawed her way through the host of these black creatures, while her maids merely tried to defend themselves from the onslaught. Thankfully the vampires were immune of such mundane thing as exhaustion and so they continued to fight.

Yet the tide never stopped. They came and came until the three vampires were overwhelmed. Seeing no other choice, the three swiftly entered their mist forms and using the currents of the storm flew to the nearest mountain to catch their breath. All of them had suffered minor scratches, though those were already starting to heal.

"Thankfully we can now at least rest for a while" Emanuelle grumbled as she looked in the reflection of her mirror looking at her ruined coiffure, yet comparison of her mistress and her sister she was quite lucky. As Isabella's white mane flew in the wind and a solitary black rose remained in it's place despite the horrible wind and fight, the last Posner smiled a rueful smile.

"I would not be certain about that" Melissa sighed and leaned off her halberd as she pointed in the distance. Isabella's grip on her sword tightened as she saw even more of the creatures in the distance and despite the whirlwinds and thunder that protected them on the mountain. Despite the peril she and her confidantes faced, her only thought was of her errant husband. She could still feel his bond, but as everything in this horrible world it was distorted and shrouded from her, he was near that was clear, but where.

"My lady!" Emanuelle called as a flock of the bird like variant of the beasts approached the summit of the mountain, masterfully dodging the weaved hurricanes and lightning. Yet as soon as they were about to attack the three women, a mighty roar sounded through the battlefield and a crimson flame swallowed the birds, who desperately tried to avoid the source of it.

Two mighty feet landed on the summit and from the clouds a colossal dragon emerged, it's eye sockets burning with a crimson flame, rather than the orange-red the other beasts had possessed. Unsurprisingly a figure stood on its head, with the Chalice of Battori raised victoriously and a demonic grin of his deformed face. In an instant Isabella was in her mist form and on the dragon next to Vlad, ready to bestow her affections upon him then and there, while her retainers followed her a bit slower, making sure nothing could follow them.

As soon as all the vampires were on the creature, with a single flap of it's wings, the dragon roared and flew through the storm clouds and into the night sky.

"So is this how we're getting out of here?" Emanuelle asked as she held onto one of the dragon's back spines. Vlad looked back to her and merely nodded before brushing a strand of hair off Isabella's face, who rested her head on his shoulder.

"Yes, while it was possible to command this creature. I do believe my control sometime may break and the creature undoubtedly will be more than happy to repay me for my transgressions against it" he spoke softly as he patted the bone plate of the enormous dragon.

"I believe the next question you were going to ask of me Emanuelle was to be where are we going. Am I right?" the elder vampire asked and the woman nodded as despite the altitude, his words were clear as day in her mind.

"To answer your question, my dear" this time the Count looked at her and Melissa, who silently kept a lone vigil in the distance "like in a bond with a bat or a wolf, I was able to slip inside this marvellous beasts memories for a while and from what I have discerned the destination of our flight is that of a city this monster once terrorized. Knowing human knack for building and reproducing like rabbits, hopefully we'll have a chance to begin again."

"Begin what m'lord ?" Emanuelle asked

"Our conquest of course!" and then the vampire count let out bellowing laughter as they flew under the shattered moon. Isabella smiled and Vlad's arm held her closer than ever, savouring the closeness of one another. While the husband and wife enjoyed this brief pause before another conflict, Emanuelle felt a pang of pity for the unsuspecting mortals, who had no idea just what plotted their subjugation.

Far away from them, back in the desolate wasteland, a castle stood over black pools of ooze. In the castle was a purple crystal ball. In this crystal ball a dragon could be seen carrying the four escapees towards the first unfortunate civilization.

"I wonder what monsters you have brought me now, Manfred." The woman mussed aloud, having taken a glance at the newcomers. While the women were impressive in their own right, the hatred, the sublime all-consuming hatred of the man who had taken down her dragon with no aura and could turn into a mist. Salem wanted him.

What Salem wanted, Salem got.

**A.N: Too bad Vlad is too much in love with his wife to attempt betraying her. Manfred has now not only doomed one world, but two. I wonder does our bald bastard like his predicament he has gotten himself into as Nagash uses him as a punching bag.**

**I won't probably update this for a long while and use your imagination of Vlad and his hare- err…I mean his beautiful wife and maids, who are just maids and nothing else conquer Remnant.**

**Interesting thing is that some of the creatures in rwby have similarities from those in other franchises and I never really got over the fact that I saw squigs in the Breach, that made me kinda think. Now I imagine Grimm Orcs and now, that is a frightening thought.**

**Have a nice day, leave me a comment of your thoughts and I'll see you soon in other works or maybe even this one!**

**-Spook**


	2. Chapter 1: Back to square one!

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure who continuously failed to assassinate all Sigmarite priests who invaded my domains, until he redeemed himself by single handedly decimating Brettonian keeps in my next major offensive.**_

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings.**

**A.N: It's interesting that Von Carstein bloodline allows the vampires to both walk under the sun and have a reflection. To quote the wiki "Defy the Dawn: Your will is so strong, you can overcome even the terrible power of the sun. This trait is especially common amongst Lahmians, Necrarchs, and Von Carsteins." Same applies to water and other misc. bloodlines.**

_Chapter 1: Back to square one!_

It had been three days since they had boarded the strange dragon and made their escape from what the vampires simply referred to as 'the Wastes', before they saw the land. In the middle of the night the great beast settled in the closest mountain range. This of course confused the undead, for cities deep in the mountains were usually reserved for the gruff Dwarves or wild Orcs, but the architecture was that of humans.

With a mighty roar the creature landed in front of what had once been majestic gates of the city. Melted stone and ruined rock made it evident what had transpired here. In ages past it surely must have been a great city with its mighty spires, that now lay utterly ruined. Vlad jumped off the beast first, extending his hand to Isabella, who rather jumped into his arms and wrapped hers around his broad shoulders and nuzzled his cheek.

Emanuelle and Melissa followed suite, carefully climbing down the great beast and carefully carrying the chalice that had fed them the whole journey. Once all of the passengers had left the mighty beast, it let out another roar, albeit longer than the last- apparently to say farewell to his unwelcome passengers.

Vlad let Isabella gently on the ground and approached the mighty beast, who let down its head in deference to the elder monster. The Vampire let out a wry grin and stroked the enormous bone plating that covered the dragon's nose.

"_**Shhh…**_" the Count whispered gently as he petted the snout of the dragon "_**Brave beast, you have performed exemplary, but alas I cannot allow you to come back in revenge… **_" The answer to this was a blink of all six of it's eyes. Vlad continued to pet the beast and his eyes started glowing red.

"_**Forgive me if you can, but please…**_" he now held onto the beasts snout with both of his hands and looked it straight in the eyes.

Vlad von Carstein uttered a single word

"_**Die.**_"

At first nothing happened, but to the other vampires this was a macabre spectacle as their lord and liege released his hands and turned from the great beast whose eyes now glowed red like torches. The beast stood on it's hind legs before letting out a desperate roar.

It whipped around like a scared dog, the tail cutting rock, like a scythe would wheat. It roared and roared, before it's voice slowly left the dragon.

Vlad looked at it once again and then like the other creatures they had slain since arriving in the world it started to vanish.

Yet it was still alive.

Flakes of darkness fell from it, leaving nothing , but the pure agony of it's death. With desperate attempts the beast raised it's paws to smash the monster who commanded the dragon to end it's existence. It cried out another time that seemed like a call for help, yet as half of it had already vanished, without the proper organs, only weak whimpers sounded from the once infamous monstrosity, who had been the ruin of countless cities and heroes.

In the end nothing remained of the gargantuan monster that could have matched the fiercest beasts of their old world.

With the grim spectacle over, the Count muttered a quiet "thank you" and turned to his wife and her maids.

"This city was once called Klipskuiling in the language of the humans that built it" Vlad explained in a rehearsed manner "it meant a shelter of stone" he smiled, revealing his fangs relishing in the irony.

"It's no Drakenhoff" Isabella pointed out, while the maids remained silent. The eldest of von Carsteins turned to her and grabbed the countess's hand in a gentle gesture.

"It could be, my dear and it could be more magnificent than Drakenhoff could have been" Vlad swept his hands wide and beheld the enormous halls "Centuries passed have gathered enough corpses here that even with our limited power we could create sufficient amount of servants to do our bidding. If these creatures find us again it would be simple to control them for a while and be rid of them!"

Indeed, the ruins of the city carved into the mountain were grand, nowhere near the industrious dwarves or arrogant High Elves, yet they had no clue how to sculpt the city itself, to return it to it's former glory.

Melissa spoke up "Sire, if I may?" she called at the vampire lord who was now imagining the beautiful sight in his mind this city would make, the renovations, the fortifications.

"Yes, childe?" he turned to her with one eyebrow raised and using his sword as a cane. Melissa kicked the dirt in front of her "How are we going to restore this city to the magnificent grandeur of it's past? I mean we have no thralls to do our biddings, while the skeletons and zombies may serve as menial labour… " she trailed off and shrank slowly recalling how mean his temper could be when stoked. Vlad stopped in his tracks and shook his head ruefully.

"Ah, Melissa" he chided "For how long have you walked under the night?" the vampires blushed lightly and muttered

"For almost 480 years m'lord" she said, but Emanuelle mouthed silently '470', but Vlad ignored the second maid to continue grilling the poor vampiress.

"After all these years and feats you both achieved" Vlad tched "You still think like HUMANS!" the last par was more of a bestial roar, rather than a sound that humans could replicate. Immediately the 'sisters' shrunk under the gaze of the vampire lord.

"We have all time in the world, thanks to the chalice and why do we have to do it now? We can leave an undying order of guards to salvage the city, while look for our missing herd. For what is a farmer without his farm?" the Count lectured as his cloak swept behind him in a theatrical manner.

"Our freedom from the vagaries of time does not absolve us our responsibilities to lead the ones less gifted than us and make use of their talents. The blood we must drink…."

All this time while Vlad was busy making his grand speech to the maids, Isabella looked in the distance. From mountains and in night-time it was very hard to see what was happening throughout the valley. With her vampiric vision, the Countess and the sole remaining von Drak saw lights in the valley. At first, she thought that it was some sort of celebration, but as she focused, the lights seemed more like fires and not the ones people would light in celebration.

"Vlad, my moonlight" she called to him "There is fighting happening down in the valley" as soon the words had left her lips, Vlad was beside her like a hurricane. A terrible grin etched itself in his face and soon enough it turned feral, revealing the true form of the vampire.

"Fighting you say, my gentle star" he looked down in the valley and his body slowly started to turn in the mist

"What is a battlefield without carrion birds looking for their prize?" he said laughing as he turned into a gentle breeze and flew down the valley. Isabella von Carstein winked at the maids

"Try to have fun here darlings" she gave them a pointed stare and with cackling flew down the mountain to join her husband. The message had been explicitly clear, Melissa sighed and lifted the halberd and beckoned Emanuelle as she headed past the ruined gates of the city and deeper into what had become a tomb to countless souls.

It was alright that their mistress wanted to have her little outing undisturbed, they would have fun on their own. How did they know this?

They could hear movement in the distance.

In the valley, Vacuo's 2nd armies 3rd defence battalion "Fennec" was facing heavy casualties. The forces of Mantle had stuck again. The tyrannical, authoritarian dogs had already assailed Vacuo and their evil knew no bounds. Torched villages, tests of unseen weaponry, the gases, the monstrous planes dropping explosive ordinance that would leave no survivors. Those monsters needed to be stopped.

The poor soldiers of Vacuo were outmatched by the initial deployment of the scouts of mantle, who had quietly sabotaged the village during the night, by setting storehouses on fire, tearing up the telegraph lines and killing most of the leadership. It wasn't meant to happen like this, they were supposed to drive out their hated foe and free the oppressed peoples of Mistral and Mantle, not to be ambushed and made sitting ducks for the Grimm.

Jolene Vert hissed as she desperately tried to remove the wooden support beam that had crushed her leg. Thankfully with aura cushioning the blow, it had only been broken. Though that itself was a hollow mercy as the fire in the barracks spread further. The rest of the occupants had already either died from the initial blast or suffocated in the damn smoke. She alone had survived out of thirty men and women staying there for the night as she had to sleep on the floor due to shortage of beds, but as the captain of her men and women, she had chosen the simple sleeping bag as her cot. This had saved her life in the impromptu barracks, but it was all for naught if she couldn't move the support beam.

With a heavy grunt the woman tried to use both of her hands to lift the beam and for a brief moment the wood seemed to move out of place, but soon her strength gave out and the tongues of fire licked even closer to her. Jolene cursed again and tried to push herself out of the wreckage, but couldn't.

"Fuck, gods damn it" she cursed that she wasn't a faunus or that her semblance was something as useless as sound creation, what she couldn't have given for something more destructive than that. Desperately she looked around to possibly find a weapon to cut through the wood or in the worst case, her leg. Franctically she tried to see anything that could help her, but her own gear was smashed under the fire. She wasn't going to die here. With a moment of clarity, she found the utility knife taped to her free thight and raised it in the fire, contemplating her choice.

"It seems that you are indeed in trouble miss" a voice called from doorway and Jolene could do nothing, but whip her head around and gape at the figure in the doorway.

It was a man, no doubt about that, but a peculiar man at that. Wearing what looked to be an ancient black armour with gold engravings and a cape made out bear hide. She couldn't imagine how could he stand this heat, but what captured her attention was the commanding aura and the pale skin of the man, at the hips hung a sword. In this age melee weapons were still common, but with the newer variants of guns, she herself found that the firearms suited her much more.

"Help me!" she barked as the wooden beam caught fire. The enigmatic stranger raised an eyebrow and walked over to her across the inferno, unfazed by the fire and smoke. He knelt beside her and with one arm lifted the obstacle preventing her escape. The woman scrambled out of the immediate danger and with her knife tucked back in her uniform, she rushed out of the house that had become the doom of her unit.

Of course, her saviour followed mere seconds later with the same disinterested look on his red eyes. Jolene turned around to face him and drew her knife, struggling to stand on her legs. In the distance the fire raged and screams of humans could be heard.

"Who are you?" the woman bit out as she kept her eyes on the stranger, who merely laughed at the threat. Who was he?!

"Is that how you thank the man who saved you from certain death?" he asked "What queer land I have found myself in…"

"I would apologize, but we are at war as you might have noticed" she waved the knife around to emphasise the point.

"So I gathered" the stranger admitted "You see I have travelled the world and this war is new to me" he explained and to Jolene that explained the strange armour and the thick accent. He probably was a huntsman of some backwater settlement further in the continent, who had decided to strike out. With this enormous strength the man could be of some use to her.

"I'm from the Kingdom of Vacuo, land further south and we are at war with Mantle an evil realm of men that enslave others and wish to forbid the base freedom of self-expression and emotions" she explained, before adding "they are craven cowards who hide behind their cloaks and daggers, while fear a honest war!"

She stopped her passionate speech to look at him, inwardly hoping that she had at least convinced him to listen to her case.

He seemed to be considering this, with his gauntlet scratching his chin. Now she just realized how handsome the stranger was, with his pitch-black hair and chiselled jawline, the high cheekbones gave the man even more regal appearance. The questions continued to grow as now it was evident to Jolene, that he was no mere wandering warrior.

"That indeed is a craven nation that seeks to enslave even the simple soul to express itself" he agreed before bowing lightly before her, his cape blowing in the light wind. He raised his head and captured Jolene's eyes with his own.

"I am Vlad von Carstein, the Count of Sylvania- a land…lost…" there was a faraway look in his eyes that was full of sorrow and Jolene was immediately captivated. Question of what had happened danced in her mind, but before she could ask, she saw the flash of blade behind the newly introduced Count and could only manage to shout in alarm as the lone Mantle scout was about to kill her saviour.

"Die" the man shouted as he plunged down the sabre. Jolene held her breath as the world seemed to stop before her very eyes. It was like looking at a car crash in front of her and she couldn't look away.

Suddenly the Count was a blur on the ruined landscape of fire and death. Like a bat with its wings unfurled the warrior had backhanded the Mantle soldier, who upon a closer inspection bore the rank of a lieutenant. The soldier drew the revolver and emptied its cartridge into the armour of her saviour, but to her surprise the bullets bounced off the black plate armour like peas and then the poor soldier knew no mercy.

Vlad von Carstein was a monster on the battlefield, he toyed with the soldier who tried and tried again to kill the man with his sabre, yet the technique and sheer footwork was above anyone she had ever seen. Like a King Taijitu, the Count struck, catching the lieutenant off guard with a careful feint, before striking. The Blade found the sweet spot between the third and fourth rib and plunged in, staining the sand coloured uniform. Gaping like a fish the defeated soldier muttered

"Impossible" and those were his last words as the Count sliced his throat open. Jolene stood there in shock as Count calmly tore off the sleeve of his defeated opponent to clean his sword. In the blazing fire behind him and the shadow cast by his tall frame, he looked like someone out of a legend. The woman hobbled towards him and with strength rapidly leaving her, she collapsed, but before she could do that Vlad caught her with one arm.

"Please," she began and winced as her leg hurt after being moved "Please help me avenge my men. Our kingdom could use a man like you" tears welled in her eyes as she recalled her soldiers and how ignobly they all had died.

"Rest easy, captain" he sheathed his sword and lifted her up in both of his arms, unlike how knights did it in fairy tales "I will fight for these men truly have no honour as they tried to kill me for no other reason that I saved a beautiful woman from certain doom. But promise me that _**you**_ _**will live for me. Now rest.**_" his eyes seemed to glow for a second, yet Jolene could only smile and nod, before the darkness overcame her.

Once the brave captain was knocked out cold, Vlad let her down gently and surveyed the ruined village. The fires were slowly starting to die out and howls of wolves could be heard in the distance, the gentle smile that the vampire had shown the mortal woman vanished almost immediately replaced by a bloodthirsty grin.

"Dearest, how was your supper?" he asked to no one in particular, however, soon Vlad got his answer as footsteps slowly approached him. Isabella sauntered over to her husband with one drinking from the chalice, while with other she carried another unconscious body. From the uniform Vlad identified it one belonging to this 'Mantle' and judging from the faint heartbeat the man was still alive.

"It was splendid, Honey!" she beamed. Vlad noted that her greaves and gauntlets were splattered with blood and viscera. She had always been a messy eater.

Then Isabella threw the body on the ground next to the sleeping woman.

"I hadn't had so much fun, since we fought those witch hunters after Totentanz! They have these things called guns and the shield that acts like armour for a brief while. I thought that it would be quite the bummer, yet after a bit more force it cracked like a mirror!" She chattered and put her arms around Vlad's neck, before looking at the mutilated corpse lying couple of feet away.

"Who's that?" she asked, and Vlad flashed her a toothy smirk "an exercise" he said and then released a bark like laughter. Before capturing her lips with his own. Isabella squealed in excitement and grabbed his face with her hands, claws gently raking his face. Their tongues danced for a brief while, she gave in and pulled back from the love of her (un)life.

"Did you do as I asked?" The Count raised an eyebrow at the Countess, who nodded, before kissing him again. In the distance the destroyed bodies of both Mantle and Vacuo troops slowly dragged themselves up and started to walk sluggishly, some with missing arm, others with missing fingers, ears. All that was common, was the green light that shone from the sockets of those who had lost their eyes. Their destination was clear as they vanished into the night.

As Vlad continued to kiss his undead bride and a thought captured his very being:

Their legend begins anew!

**A.N: You might be wondering how Isabella can raise corpses and Vlad command Grimm. Well the answer is simple; Grimm are made from Dark Magic TM and while normal magic using the winds cannot take place due to certain events, the magic they can gain from blood (Chalice) is enough for some sorcery, but they'll have to do a lot more, before any legions of undead can be fielded.**

**Have a nice day, leave a comment and I'll probably see you all some other time in this or another story, check out my other works if you're interested! Ciao!**

**-Spook**


	3. Chapter 2: War of Vlad von Carstein

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure.**_

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings.**

A.N: This time it's Vlad, but I'll update Momma's Boy soon. Sorry for skipping through the War, but I need to get the plot started.

_Chapter 2- War of Vlad von Carstein_

Not soon after the King of Vacuo had caught wind of what had happened in the village and was intrigued. Just who was this man, this Vlad von Carstein of whom rumours had reached him even in the Shade Palace? His curiosity grew with each battle report he read and read how this man, this unorthodox soldier in the employ of now Major Jolene Vert, who had first encountered man in the village of Mountpast, changed the tides of battle and as the war with Mantle and Mistral grew closer and closer towards it's end, that he had to meet this man, before he vanished back into his wandering!

So, the King did what any reasonable king did to meet this man on his own terms that wouldn't arouse suspicion from his peers and the Prince of Vale, who despite mustering his own forces were often seen in the Palace. There was something uncanny about the man, but Fasa Mroon was willing to ignore these peculiarities in the favour of winning the war.

In the middle of the winter, when an armistice was reached to stem the tide of the Grimm that woke in the winter's months under the shattered moon. It was the night the shattered moon came closest to the people of Remnant, coming to speak, no plead them to stop this senseless violence. The Ball was had, royal messengers rode out on horseback, motorbikes or even delivered messages by foot, inviting guests from near and far to attend the meeting of peace for the Kingdoms. Of course, Mantle and Mistral declined the invitation, but sent their own salutations and jubilations for the armistice.

The Palace glittered with gold and shone with finest crystals the crown could offer. This Ball was as much of gesture of peace as it was the gesture of strength. If a warring nation could offer such opulent festivities during such a terrible time, then surely their might in the war was to be something to be feared.

The King and his consort personally greeted all of the guests, charming platitudes and greetings flowed like fine wine.

Jolene Vert felt uncomfortable there, in this high cut dress, with bare shoulders and too much perfume. She was a woman of action, one who felt much safer and at home in dune hideouts or at night raids, yet she was here with nothing but a light sword at her hip and Vlad by her side. The latter had been requested by the King Fasa himself.

"You are not the one for these festivities I take it?" the swordsman asked her and Jolene shot him a silent look, before shaking her head. The tuxedo fit the man much better than the armour he wore on daily basis. She could even see the fabric strain lightly against his form. If she didn't know better, he was cut out from marble, judging by feel of his arm as she clung to his elbow.

"Major Jolene Vert of the "Fennec" Battallion! Her chaperone- Vlad von Carstein!" voice of the caller called out and with all the customary bows and other etiquette they required of them, the pair came face to face with the King and his consort.

"Major Vert and von Carstein!" the King enthusiastically greeted them and shook Vlad's hand, while the Lion Faunus woman kissed Jolene on the both cheeks before letting her go.

"Wonderful work you're doing out there, you two!" Fasa continued excitedly ignoring the next announcement of guests "If we had more men and women like you, we'd be feasting in Mantle right now!"

"Now, that would be a great disservice to other brave people who fight in this war for our freedom, your grace" Vlad spoke and Jolene was grateful that she had him with her as small talk wasn't her forte.

"Your Highness" the Major saluted while Vlad merely bowed politely and was almost immediately pulled from the royal couple by sheer force of Jolene who apparently wanted to get drunk and wait for the ball to be over so that they could finally leave, yet Vlad seemed not of the same mind. He absent mindedly swirled the champagne flute in his hand as they were lead to their table, which coincidentally fielded a small squad of the royal guard surrounding the two chairs across them, while two heavy plated ceremonial guards of Vale King stood in their vigil.

Now she was certainly out of her depth here. It was not her place to mingle with Kings! Standing up suddenly, the woman marched outside. Her chapherone offered the guards a slight shrug and followed after her.

"It's not my place!" she grumbled as she stood outside in the crisp night air of the desert. Her elbow length white gloves glinted in the moonlight.

"Yet for your achievements you are here. Are you not?" Vlad's silky accented timbre cut through the revelry and the silent night.

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here Vlad" she turned to face the man, who was standing in front of her. In the night sky it was almost as his eyes glowed. Suddenly a cold wind came and Jolene shivered.

Immediately a jacket covered her shoulders and the redheaded woman felt warmth. Vlad looked at her with a gentle smile and her heart fluttered. It was not the first time that she had entertained thoughts of…something…with the other man, yet during the battles, the night raids she had never had much time to do something about it, yet now, during this ball when they weren't expected in the barracks or back at the front-line for days. Now the thought that had crept up to her didn't seem so improbable.

"Your hands are cold" the foreign Count said and clasped her gloved hands with his own and while his hands were cold as well, the thought warmed her.

"It would be unsightly to scorn the King's generous gesture" he chided and tucked her arm into his elbow "I'll prove to you that this evening won't be that terrible"

"Alright." She simply said and headed inside. Just their luck, Jolene though as the orchestra had just started to play the first Waltz, one by a famous Valean composer, who had composed the piece specifically for the peace between the Kingdoms. The Major spied him with his wife in the other end of the hall.

Lost in her thoughts she didn't notice that Vlad had pulled her onto the dancefloor.

"What do you think you're doing!?" The woman hissed and her partner simply laughed "I can't dance!" she whispered and whipped her head around to see that the other couples had already started to move.

"Shh" Vlad grasped her hands "Just relax and leave everything to me" he whispered, his breath tickling her neck.

Then they moved.

Her body was a marionette in his hands. It was as if she was clay and he the sculptor. With slow and long strides, they danced across the ballroom. Pivots and pirouettes, all of them were no match for the finesse and strength of the von Carstein, who moved with unparalleled grace, leaving the lesser dancers almost in awe on the dancefloor.

Jolene's breath hitched in her throat as the music became faster and so did the Count. Even with her soldier training, it was hard to keep up with the sheer speed of the Count's footsteps. If they would accelerate their speed, she feared that the wooden floor of the ballroom would catch fire.

All of this time a smile played on his pale lips and Jolene could only hold on to the black shadow that had become of von Carsteins form. Dodging the others, they ran laps around the others and the poor woman was like a ship in a storm of the Dragon Sea, yet this storm was the one that she would let gladly to tear her ship asunder and sink into it's depths. With the crescendo coming, she could hardly hear her thoughts, yet she knew one thing. She didn't want to let go of him.

In this dance. In this ball. In this war and life, itself!

As the orchestra finished the waltz, her feet gave out under her and she leaned on Vlad, who softly chuckling led her back to their table, where the royals waited.

"Marvellous! Simply marvellous!" the King spoke of their performance while his consort clapped gently for the two, while the silver haired man, presumably the Prince of Vale gave the couple a nod. The lavish dinner table was a sight to behold, yet strangely Vlad didn't touch it, opting to merely sip the Red Wine from his glass.

"Thank you, your highness, a man should know how to move both in the battlefield and ballroom" Vlad did a small bow, yet he didn't take his eyes off the Prince of Vale, who was looking at them the entire time. His face was unreadable, yet Jolene could tell that the both men didn't like each other that much.

"I've heard this story so many times, my good man" the king spoke up "Yet I want to hear it from yourself." He said to Vlad "How was it that you found my soldiers in their hour of need?"

"This was just the strands of fate weaving together your Grace" Vlad waved his hands dismissively "I was tired from my travels and needed to stop for the night and Mountpast was the closest destination. There I saw the village burning and it was hard to me to see it again" he explained, while he turned from Prince of Vale and back to the King Fasa.

"You see I come from a settlement of north which was once called Carstein, meaning red stone" Vlad started and the world for Jolene immediately fled into the background as he had never revealed her his mysterious past before.

"It was a single city, but it was mine. Until the Grimm at least." The Count said with some melancholy in his voice "Having failed my people as their sword and shield I walked so that my guilt one day be absolved."

"How dreary!" the lion faunus said as she brushed her eyes and the King patted her paws affectionately.

"What a sordid tale. Is there anything I can do for someone who has done so much for our soldiers?" he asked, and Vlad took another sip.

"The soldiers stationed in Mountpass were among the first of victims of these heinous attacks by the tyrants. maybe a field hospital and a cemetery for those brave souls could be built there as memorial for their as they still fought to the last woman, who sits beside me." Vlad explained and while Jolene understood the sentiment of the idea, there were much more logistically sound options for the hospitals to be created. What was he planning?

"Hmm" the young king scratched the beard "Maybe it could be done, the location might not be the best for it, but the morale boost…Hmm…" Vlad nodded patiently and waited as his guardsman whispered something in the Kings and his consorts ear.

"Yes, that will do." The King said and dismissed the guard, before leaning towards Vlad.

"How about you and Major here" He nodded to Jolene who blushed at the praise "visit me in my office later and we'll discuss your proposal. There is no need for such dark talk at a party, we came here to celebrate!"

"Of course, your highness" underneath the table, Vlad clasped her free hand.

"The ball, it's simply magical isn't it?" asked the Faunus woman softly and the redhead had to agree. With all of it's shimmering lights and tasteful decors it was reminiscent of old fairy tales of maidens and knights, but unlike those, the Major had a chance to experience it with her own two eyes.

"World is magical indeed" the Count agreed, sparing a look at the prince "It is full of wonder and things one would never believe if not seen with their own eyes" the heir of Vale spared the Count a gaze of his emerald eyes, pensive with thought.

"Isn't magic nothing, but fairy tales Sir von Carstein?" the man asked and Vlad spared him a wide grin. Drumming with his free hand on the table the Count jested

"Of course, even fairy tales can contain a grain of truth. It would be foolish to dismiss it completely. Alas I must apologize as I'm a romantic at heart" he laughed, and the prince slightly squinted his eyes through the spectacles.

"Yes" he said quietly and then the silence reigned. Vlad's smile had grown to a content grimace, yet the tension at the table continued. Tension could be felt in the air and immediately Jolene knew that the prince didn't like her friend, at all. She wondered if it was due to his ruthless and pragmatic approach to waging war.

"Friends" spoke up King Fasa, breaking the standoff between the two men. He chuckled and shook his head at what seemed to be an inside joke "Enjoy the party, there is so much to do and so little time!"

" " gently called the consort. The Lion Faunus having grabbed the soldiers attention continued with certain grace "This sitting and talking must be awfully boring" she flashed her a subtle wink, that only she and Vlad caught. The raven haired man immediately stood up from the table and extended his hand once more to the woman. With a slight jump she was already into Count's arms and in blink of an eye, the two had once more become a blur of clothes and extremities as they twirled across the dancefloor.

Soon after that, the prince of Vale excused himself from his gracious hosts.

Rest of the ball was spent dancing, laughing with other guests and Jolene was now fully immersed in the colourful atmosphere of the ball, while the Count proved a steadfast shield for her admirers and upstarts of nobility with more money than sense. It was middle of the night when Jolene dragged Vlad outside of the Ball. It was cold outside, but the black tuxedo jacket Vlad had given her, made it up for all of the cold. Her chaperone had gone for a minute to get a cab for them.

A black car approached, with toned windows and a masked soldier at the steering wheel. Vlad got out from the front seat of the car and opened the door to the backseat in a gentlemanly fashion. Before she got in the car Jolene flashed him a smile and the Count followed suit.

Once in the car the driver sped off, with smooth jazz playing through the speakers.

"What beautiful music" he mussed and the tension in the salon grew, separated from the driver by a pitch black screen.

Jolene know knew that there was no turning back and dug her fingers into the armrest. What if she rushed it, would he push her away? If she did this there would be no turning back and Vlad was a great friend, maybe even her best one since that day he saved her.

"Yes it truly is" she said and the rest of the ride continued in silence.

The car stopped and Jolene put her hand in Vlad's as he helped her out of the vehicle. These were not the barracks or the apartments the King had given the officers serving them. It was one of the rare grand hotels in Vacuo. Oh, Dust! It was really happening.

While on outside she was calm, inside her hear beat like a machine-gun, the one with chain magazines and that required to be fastened to a tripod.

"While I'm not an official soldier of the army, the King had graciously granted me this suite for the duration of the armistice for my services. The letter with what he left it was rather vague, so I put it off until now." He explained as they climbed in the elevator. Jolene said nothing yet continued her hold on his arm.

With a soft click the door opened as Vlad unlocked the doors and led her inside. The apartment was pitch black and her eyes couldn't see anything, but her hand instinctively reached for the light switch.

Yet now Vlad had grabbed her arm before she could do that and forced it above her head. Now she was certain of what was going to happen and the beat of her heart could be heard in the silence of the apartment.

Lips kissed the nape of her neck and Jolene almost thrust her hips backwards to meet his. Another strong arm grabbed her stomach.

"Mmm…Vlad" she called out and grabbed his hair as he continued to kiss her neck. After so long he was with her and his feelings were the same!

Yet the lips left her body and with a disappointed mewl, with her free arm she sought his face.

"Jolene" Vlad whispered in her ear "I am sorry"

Alarm was raised in her head "For what?!" she asked, and the arms released her. Immediately she turned to face him.

Vlad remained silent.

Jolene sighed in frustration and grabbed his shirt and pulled him close "For what Vlad? For what are you sorry for?"

His eyes met hers and now it was certain that they were glowing in the darkness of the moonlight that shone through the apartment.

"I am a married man, Jolene" he said, and she let go of his shirt.

"Is that all?" she laughed with pain "Do you have feelings for your dead wife? You think that you are betraying her with me? Vlad, she would be happy that you have found someone that loves you like she did."

Then she kissed him soulfully, yet she didn't understand why he didn't respond. Surely it was because he was unsure, but that didn't matter now as he had her and she would make sure that the woman who held her sway on him in death would free his heart.

Jolene undid his bow-tie and the buttons of his shirt followed franctically, her lips kissing his muscled chest.

"Jolene, you didn't understand me correctly" Vlad grabbed her chin with one hand "She is still alive"

"What? But you told me that you were the sole survivor of Carstein!"

"I lied" he said and kissed her forcefully. This time he took the initiative and grabbed her, yet Jolene now felt disgusted and untangled herself from the man, stepping back.

"I changed my mind" the Major said and readjusted her shoulder strap and tried to walk out the apartment, but the Count blocked her path.

"Is my marital status the barrier for your desires or is it the fact that I lied to you?" he asked with his arms crossing his chest. Jolene fisted her hands.

"Both and if you don't move you can kiss whatever plan you had goodbye!" she snarled, yet the Count seemed more amused than afraid by her threats

"**My my**" another, but this time a beautiful female voice called out behind her "**You truly do have a temper my dear**" Jolene tried to look back, but her back pressed against two large naked breasts and beautifully manicured hand grasped her own, while the other travelled downwards.

"**I am Isabella von Carstein**" the woman whispered in her ear "**My husband was rather smitten with you and I can see why**" and then once more lips were on her neck, biting and sucking.

She looked at Vlad, who smiled at her ruined state as his wife breached her defences. It wasn't right Jolene thought and the next second, Vlad, the man who had lied to her and who was doing this to her kissed her on the lips.

That night the von Carsteins received another Daughter.

After the armistice the war continued. Soldiers died and Grimm flourished, yet the Kingdom of Vacuo remained strong. With von Carstein and the General Jolene Vert, now nicknamed "Bloodhound" the troops of Mantle and Mistral were outmatched by the genius general and the peerless warrior that was the strange Count. All was right in the kingdom and the few radicals who advocated a state with no monarchies fled back into the background.

As the war reached its apex, there were rumours that the Legendary hero of the Great War, Vlad von Carstein had married, in true storybook manner, he had married a survivor of the Mountpast where he had met her as a nurse. The Count denied this rumour, but all could see the gold ruby ring on his ring finger.

Kingdom of Vale withdrew, when they knew the war in Vacuo was almost over, The forces of Mantle and Mistral having realized that their war was senseless sued for peace and in the newspapers of the world there was a headline with the monochrome picture of General Jolene Vert signing an agreement with General Wolfgang Ironwood. In the back stood Vlad von Carstein with a smile on his face.

The headline read "A true peace for our time"

After the war, Jolene Wert settled retired from active service, giving her ceremonial sword and pistol to the King alongside her medals. When the King asked why, the redhead responded that she had spilled enough blood for her lifetime and retired to Mountpass to lead the field hospital that had grown into "Mountpass hospital of the soldiers", while von Carstein disappeared once the great monument for the fallen had been built and the dead buried.

When asked about his disappearance the former general had smiled and said "His quest isn't done yet, but when Vacuo shall need him again he'll return with a sword with azure light" she joked and the new villagers joked with her.

The next eighty years passed and the small village had grown into a formidable town under Jolene, who in her 30th year of stewardship of the town vanished overnight, leaving her nephew with a note "Went to find the Count. I'll be back."

So the Legend of the Bloodhound and her swordsman slowly overgrown with embellishments and exaggerations that only a fool would believe.

Yet in the tower of Beacon, one such fool was Ozpin, the headmaster of the school for huntsmen, who had once met von Carstein before in the Great War. He was a strange man with even stranger magic oozing from him. He was the only one that caught it, but the power that clung to this man was unmistakable. He might have pulled wool over everyone's eyes, but Ozma knew that he would appear once more on the stage. He and Salem were evenly matched on their chessboard, they didn't need a wild card thrown in the mix!

Who was he? What was his plan?

For the sake of the world Ozpin had to know!

**A.N: Ask and ye shall receive. Leave comments to feed my Golden Throne of written shitposts and have a nice day!**

**-Spook**


	4. Chapter 3:Doom afoot in Mountpass

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure.**_

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings.**

**A.N on the previous chapter**: **Some reviewers have expressed their dissatisfaction of me ignoring the Queen of Vacuo was a woman and a Faunus, but as you remember we don't have enough information about the war in general. However, the war for the Vacuo went poorly, so poorly in fact that their central government was dissolved until, somehow, they beat back Mantle and Mistral (which reeks of Ozpin's dickery). In this Au, the war was shifted due to Vlad's intervention when he stemmed the tide in favour of Vacuo. The Grimm attacked less them and more the invaders and with Jolene's rise to power, the land couldn't be fractured- remaining a kingdom with their resources and a monarchy, rather than becoming a puppet of Vale and instating a council system thus allowing companies to exploit the land as in cannon, remember that most fighting had happened in Vacuo, rather say…Vale. If anyone want the original Queen of Vacuo, then she was seen in the Ball with the King Fasa and would lead in his stead when he was killed by an assassin during a parade**. **Vlad and Oz will have their verbal showdown Soon TM, although I don't know when exactly****.**

_Chapter 3-Doom afoot in Mountpass, 31 year since the end of the war, 1 year since the disappearance of Jolene Vert_

In the town of Mountpast, actually there was nothing much to see, despite the historical relevance of the small town in the Great War. Sitting there in one of the few pubs of the town, Blanc Noirfeld was sipping on his cocktail and he was a man deep in thought.

A former soldier of the now defunct Mantle Army, the infantryman turned private detective was a man on a mission. Being hired for the newly hired Dust mining firm of Nicholas Schnee, who had started a lucrative Dust mining career in Atlas and sought to expand, yet the natural riches of Vacuo was barred to him. With considerable resources the man had found out that the orders from the crown came from a peculiar little town called Mountpast, coincidentally this was the place where Mantle had started to experience their losing streak at the hands of the Bloodhound and the monster of the battlefield that followed her. Despite the legends surrounding the town after the war, it was rather mundane in his eyes, only thing worthwhile in it were the mines and the Monument of the Fallen.

Blanc was not there due to any sightseeing. His job was to find out who was blocking the companies access to Vacuo's supply of Dust as it was under the ministry of Agriculture and Development. Too much money had been spent in the attempts with legal means and with grim determination Nicholas had hired Blanc as a specialist to find the source and it was possible, to neutralize it.

It was still an hour until his visit to the Mayor's office and as member of Schnee Dust Company he at least had to look the part like he was just another bureaucrat out of his depth. Scoffing as it was a bad joke, the man took another swig of his whiskey and brushed his dark green hair back with his hand.

"Bartender, gimme a double" he waved another 20 lien note and caught the glass sliding his way. The alcohol pleasantly burned his throat and the private detective was satisfied. Turning to the television channel that now covered the disappearance of the Bloodhound year ago.

"Good riddance" he sneered and toasted to the reporter who bemoaned the loss of Vacuoan national hero. So, the hour passed, drinking whiskey and looking through his assignment. Then it was his time to go.

"Ah, " the new Mayor, apparently the nephew of the Bloodhound was an Egghead if Blanc had ever seen one. Short with the same red hair and round glasses with the lenses thicker than the bottom of a bottle. He thanked the gods that Jolene Vert was the only Bloodhound in the family tree.

"Good evening, sir" he said diplomatically and shook the hand of the Mayor who had a surprisingly strong grip "I'm glad you had time to spare for me and the Schnee Dust Company"

"Oh, it's nothing really, there is another meeting later" he offered him a seat "I was most intrigued by your employers offer, however" Blanc was offered a glass with clear liquid that most certainly wasn't water.

"I'd like to hear it in person"

The conversation lasted for an hour with Blanc and Hector, he recalled, telling jokes and slowly warming the man up to the proposition of allowing the Schnee Dust Company to operate the mines in exchange for a decent cut. That was the moment when all jokes had ceased and steel in the bespectacled man appeared. He had stoically denied any possibility and bid him good evening, before ushering him out of the spartan office.

Leaving the office, he spied a lovely young thing with pale skin and black hair in a business suit waiting next to the door.

At least some sights that he had seen were worth it. Not bemoaning the lack of success, the private detective returned to his hotel room, where this rejection had caused him to try more underhanded methods.

Opening the empty suitcase, Blanc unlocked the secret compartment and surveyed the equipment. A standard Mantle Army issue 9 bullet AP pistol Durandal with fire dust and a standard issue extendable sword for all former Mantle spooks. It was purchased in a rather dubious black-market stall in Anequine, but it would get the job done.

Having checked the equipment, the man hid it once again in the hidden compartment, washed his teeth, undressed and went to bed.

In the morning he was awakened by an alarm clock, cursing his own routine, the private eye, groaned and stretched his arms before taking a look out of his window. A small convoy of trucks just left one of the mining firms offices and were heading out from the town up in the mountains with a dirt road.

Now this was interesting, Blanc thought and immediately started his preparations. forgoing his casual suit and trenchcoat, he dressed like an actual tourist and put all of his gear in the mountaineering backpack he had crammed into the large suitcase, which now felt considerably lighter.

Breakfast proved no opportunities for him to find out more about those trucks as the locals seemingly had no clue at all and that the drivers were strangely quiet and never were seen in the bars or socialized at all. He noted this with a careful interest and when no more information was to be had, he gracefully thanked for everything and left. There was no use to remain in this town, while the real secret was up in those mountains.

The real question was exactly what it was. To Blanc it seemed most likely some sort of military facility that was cooking up something and whatever this something was, Atlas would pay him top Lien for it, even if SDC would. So, the spook bid goodbye to the receptionist and gave her his keys as he left. He left the town and soon after it's memory as such visitors as him were a dime a dozen, even if they never returned. Roar of engines and the trail of white exhaust fumes was the last that was seen of Blanc Noirfeld. Couple of miles from the town, further up in the mountains, yet outside the roads a maintenance crew would use normally, that was the place in which the man decided to park his vehicle so that it would be accessible, yet far from curious eyes.

Standing out of his car, the green haired man approached the trunk and opened it. Inside laid another huge suitcase taking up almost all space in the compartment. Grabbing a manual, Blanc took a look at the title of the book and let out a whistle.

"Hermes-prototype model C2" it read, while bright red lettering of "CONFIDENTIAL" stamped on top of the book was enough for him to read the whole thing through. Once finished with the book and the miraculous piece of technology in it, the detective wasted no time and with some effort lifted the crate out of the trunk of the car and slowly started to unpack.

He thanked whoever had designed the device and written the instructions as the sheer amount of details almost overwhelmed him, yet the instructions made the device appear rather simple and uncomplicated. In the end it resembled a kite with thrusters and a backpack attached to it along with a harness. Surveying the beauty of his work, Blanc continued his preparations.

It got dark soon enough and with the darkness he awoke from his midday nap and checked his watch.

2330

The time was right and so Blanc rose from the backseat of his car and threw the blanket at the headrest of the seat, before he left the vehicle. Dressing for the job came next and soon enough he looked like the textbook image of a rogue operative. Camo jacket and cargo pants with standard military boots, a bulletproof vest and baclava with night and thermal vision. Once again, he thanked the fact that Papa Schnee had enough money to throw around to afford such an outfit. He reckoned a year's wage for an average miner would have been enough for the gear he was now carrying on his person, never mind the prototype and other expenses, fastening the sword to his side and holstering the silenced AP pistol. The mercenary put on the experimental harness and fumbled with the switch, which according to the instructions was to make the damn thing start.

"Well…" the man gulped" Here goes nothing…Holy shit!"

With a mighty hiss, the engines started working and Blanc was sent upwards in the sky, slowly becoming no more than a small silent blot in the night. In the night, just beneath the light clouds, the spook pulled binoculars and tracked the dirt road that led deeper into the mountains. Like a serpent the road curled around the mountains, before disappearing abruptly at an outpost, illuminated by only a couple of searchlights and a very light outer perimeter with light machine guns mounted, which didn't seem manned. This definitely was a black ops site, which made Blanc considerably uneasy as facing black ops was far more different than shaking down uptitty government officials and nosy rivals.

He had a bad feeling about this, but it was too late to pull back now as fuel was preciously low on the glider. Now he realized just why this was just a prototype.

"Dust damn piece of junk" he hissed as he maneuvered the vehicle to the mountain where the outpost lied, where he landed without a hitch, fuel showing that he had at least five minutes of flight-time. Disassembling the vehicle, he tucked it into the backpack that came with it and hung it on his shoulders as he slowly made his way downwards the steep slope of the mountain. Within an hour he was near the outpost, with his pistol drawn and a bolt cutter ready. The searchlights faced the front and from experience of serving in military outposts and bases the soldiers often stayed near them for the simple fact that it was easier to spot any intruders, and no one wanted wander around alone in the night with the Grimm on and about.

So, with this being said, there was no reason that anyone would be prepared for someone to invade the outpost from the mountains, which was exactly what Blanc had done. Quickly he cut a hole in the fence, before sneaking through and closing it behind him. Leaving behind no trace, but the light gap between the wire net.

The inside of the outpost was bare, consisting of a lone guard box and a single two storey building with a flag of Vacuo floating in the wind, while he counted seven guards patrolling the site. Breath hitched in his chest as he quietly enabled his aura and semblance. While he didn't believe the magical bullshit, the chaplain had given him during the war, yet the invisible shield of energy that protected him from stray shots and Grimm was a blessing. However, his greatest blessing was the ability that his Semblance gave him, making him become almost completely unremarkable to the naked eye, that if one would look straight at him, their eyes would dismiss him as just another part of their scenery. Making it perfect for this job, yet it was not as amazing as flight or making clones.

Breathing deeply Blanc activated his semblance and snuck around the wall of the main building. Creeping to avoid any cameras as it would ruin his espionage, the mercenary snuck past the first cameras and continued his trek to the mouth of the tunnel.

He evaded the guard with expert precision, giving the person a wide berth. On a closer inspection these guards were rather strange. Their body covered head to toe with dark body armour, while riot helmets covered their features. In their arms laid silenced automatic shotguns, particularly nasty variant that was outlawed after the war and this did not feel well for the mercenary as he knew IF he was caught it would be hairy.

Only a cock of the safety slide was what kept Blanc Noirfeld alive as if seeing right through him the guard delivered a shot where his head would have been.

As he felt brief cold exploding next to him, he immediately thought 'cold dust' and landed few shots with precise succession where the heart would be and with a grim satisfaction saw as the guard collapsed as blood sprouted through the chest armour.

However, his relief at having cheated death was short as the other guards had apparently heard the sound as well and started to converge on his current position.

"Fuck" Blanc cursed and unsheathed his sword, before sprinting at the guards, who had come within ten metres of him, with their guns trained at him. He thanked the gods that these soldiers were unprepared for his assault as he took aim and shot two of the nearest men in their heads, with satisfaction watching as they collapsed as puppets with their strings cut.

Two tried to hit him with their weapons, but another thing aura did was enhance the wielder to be faster than a normal person and ducking under the fire with ease, the man slid in front of one of the leftmost guard, who was still shocked at the death of their comrades and grabbed him as a human shield, with the sword tickling their neck.

"If you move-" he started his threat, but immediately ducked as his shield was riddled with bullets.

"Dust damn it!" the words were a snarl from the mercenary's lips. Blanc threw the corpse at their murderers he shot one of the two in the knee, before using the sword as a makeshift javelin to kill the farthest threat. The helmet's visor flooded with blood as in the death's throes the guard groaned.

Now only two guards remained, yet one was still struggling to get up with his shattered knee. The green haired man eyed his foe, but an emotionless visor gazed back at him. He was thankful that they were masked as it was harder to watch a dying man right in the eye. Dashing at him, Blanc turned his dash into a tackle and pounced onto the man, knocking the armoured figure on the ground.

Immediately grabbing them by the armour, he rolled them sideways, catching the man off guard. He could feel the punch of the shotgun as the impact from the shot rattled his aura barrier. Not wasting a moment, the spook grabbed still warm hand of the guard and raised the shotgun at the last guard who still had his shotgun aimed at him.

Boom.

The figure collapsed and blood stained the dirt. Grunting, Blanc rose from the ground and surveyed the carnage this shootout had created. Swiftly grabbing the shotgun from the closest corpse and its dust cartridges, before slinging the weapon over his shoulder. He wasted no time in prayers for the deceased and instead, let his gaze wander over the buggies parked next to the guard booth.

"Phew" the mercenary let out a sign of relief that he wouldn't have to walk anymore and headed to 'his' new transport. As he drew merrily past the dead bodies into the tunnel that headed deeper into the mountains, Blanc Noirfeld had forgotten that the security cameras were still watching with their crimson eyes.

"Damn bats! Couldn't they have knocked them off when they built this damn place?!" Blanc cursed as a small swarm of the winged rodents fled past him as the headlights illuminated the tunnel. Whoever had this tunnel didn't do very well maintenance for it, he surmised, but kept his pistol ready for any sudden guard patrol. He knew that he was heading upwards in the mountains and after half an hour of twisting cavern filled roads teeming with bats, the trespasser came up what he believed was the main entry point of the facility.

"They'll want to see this" he murmured and turned on his chest mounted camera as Blanc passed an abandoned checkpoint, which was used before the outpost on the outside. Stopping the buggy, just outside the eyesight range of an average person or Faunus, Blanc jumped out of the vehicle and grabbed the shotgun, slowly sneaking further in the mysterious mountain. As he passed the second checkpoint the rather spacious cavern was split in two, with a large freight elevator, where most of the tire tracks led, while select few footprints led to a narrow pathway through another cave.

Immediately, he decided that the elevator would be too risky because the rest of the armed facility personnel would be there, guarding it more zealously than the dust deposit on Atlas. Mercenary made a silent gesture of prayer and followed the tracks to the narrow pathway, his sword at the ready along his pistol. He had a rough experience with cave warfare as Vacuo troops loved to use them in mountain or particularly inhospitable terrain warfare and he had lost good friends to a sneaky asshole waiting with his bayonets drawn. Slowly he crept through the cavern, sweat dripping, hands clenching the grip on the shotgun. Blanc saw the end of the tunnel, his paranoia kicking in, he activated his semblance and rolled out , with his shotgun aiming at the air.

There was nothing there, no long-eared rabbit bastard shanking his best friend or a nasty spike trap, skewering a sixteen-year-old boy, who had enlisted due to some misplaced national pride. As he rose from the ground Blanc lowered his shotgun and surveyed his surroundings.

What the fuck?!

His hands slackened as the sight was revealed in front of him. An entire city carved into the enormous cavern, bursting with movement as electric lights and few remaining cranes illuminated the new discovery. Through a hole about three or more miles from his postiton revealed the city in moonlight.

This surpassed everything he had imagined about the place!

Without hesitation he took out the binoculars and surveyed the majestic mountain fortress city. The city might have been far smaller than Mantle or the new and shiny Atlas, yet the ancient grandeur was far more impressive than the white marble of Atlas Academy. Strong solid contours of the black stone masonry reminded him of the castles he had once read about in books, before the Kingdom unifications, where fearless and wild warlords reigned throughout Remnant.

Tall jagged spires of the central castle tower certainly gave the castle of the city a morbid façade and he could see fortifications being rebuilt and something in the moonlit sky flying through in the air. Zooming in through the scope of his binoculars a swarm of great bat like creatures came flying through the hole in the mountain and were headed straight to the castle, yet they for some strange reason passed the towering structure and an obvious source of easy prey and flied into smaller holes in the mountain's walls.

As bewildered, he was by what he was seeing, he couldn't have noticed the glint of the bullet that barely missed him, shattering the stone besides his head. Eyes wide with fear he ducked and tried to find the sniper, yet even in the dark and with the binoculars it was hard to find the bastard., he tried to crawl, back to the tunnel, yet he heard the hydraulic hiss of the lift's doors opening. The march of footsteps followed soon after.

"Fuck" Blanc hissed as he realized that the seven soldiers outside had been a trap. He could try and fight his way out the soldiers that came through the cavern and risk capture or death by the sadistic sniper that aimed just above his head so that they could toy with him. The mercenary couldn't give up, just yet. He with the most potent human emotion yet- spite as he weighed his other options, yet a crazy idea was borne in his mind.

After all a person's aura could take a lot of punishment.

Thus Blanc Noirfeld threw himself off the edge of the cliff and plummeted downwards to the mountain city.

His fall lasted two seconds before he opened his parachute. With triumphant laughter he mocked the soldiers and the sniper that tried to kill him as he glided to his safety.

"Fuck yeah" he pumped his fist as he steered himself towards the battlements. Yet luck wasn't with him today as the next shot tore up the leftmost string used to pilot the device and soon Blanc Noirfeld was falling out of the sky, cursing and bracing for his inevitable pain.

He landed on the stone road of the city a good while from the ledge that overlooked the city, his aura shattered and himself groaning with pain. Immediately he felt the fatigue of all that he had done these past days and with shaking hands he drew the weapon.

"Oh, another gnat" a female voice said, sounding as if this was a common happenstance. Immediately he whipped around with his gun ready to fire at the woman, yet when he whipped around to face her, Blanc saw a mist previously hadn't been there.

"Where are you, bitch?!" he hissed and stepped back as a cold shiver came up to him. A mocking laughter echoed behind him and without thought the mercenary whipped around and let loose a volley of shots, that seemed to do nothing, but amuse his current opponent even more.

"Why" the voice turned harsh and deep, like someone was scratching a chalkboard with a nail "**Can't you see ME?!**"

He found himself face to face with no one else, but Jolene Vert. She didn't look older than the day she had first appeared in the papers. Dressed in her custom general's armour with a crimson hound on her left breast. Her red hair, as always, was held into a neat bun, yet her blue eyes were red, like Grimm and her grin was way too sharp, with dagger like incisors. How was she so young?! Why was she here, what place did this serve?!

Yet as she was right in front of him, Blanc Noirfeld had a more pressing question: Why wasn't the bitch dead?!

"**Oh, how trigger happy we are!**" she clapped as she effortlessly dodged the blasts from his shotgun "**You'll do well as one of the boys!**" she appraised him, while laughing at some twisted inside joke.

"I'll rather skin you alive, Bloodhound bitch!" Blanc snarled and threw aside the shotgun, its magazine spent, before he drew his sword and was about to draw his pistol.

"**tut-tut**" The Bloodhound chided with sadistic glee as her hand held onto the pommel of the sword, not allowing him to draw the weapon. With a huff of pure rage, he aimed his pistol, yet Jolene Vert casually batted his hand away with a sadistic crack and Blanc howled in pain with a broken wrist.

"**You know**" she applied a bit more pressure and the pain blossomed into the other hand. Blanc now had no way out and was face to face with a personal bogeyman of the war, who was toying with him. He had no hope of laving this place alive, the mercenary cringed through the pain and through a last-ditch effort tried to headbutt the woman, who dodged his attempt with more laughter.

To make his last stand even more humiliating, she headbutted him in return, breaking his nose.

"**And that is how you properly headbutt someone**" she laughed and knocked him to the ground, continuing to laugh as he tried to crawl away from the monster in human form.

"As I was saying" her voice returned to what should have belonged to a cute girl, not this bloodthirsty monster "I think you'll find your new life here a lot more satisfying"

the Bloodhound smirked and approached her victim to be.

The following week three things happened:

Nicholas Schnee received a package containing the manual of the prototype he had given one of his best mercenaries, with a private letter inside that made Schnee Dust abandon Vacuo as a region for expansion.

Rumours of strange bat-like creatures began appearing in the most rural regions of Vacuo. They spoke of a terrible beast in the size of a truck with terrible cunning that harried their livestock and evaded the huntsmen with ease.

A new guard was stationed in the mountain research facility of Ironspike Mountains.

**A.N: Sorry for the wait, had to recycle some ideas and took up Warframe again. I almost forgot how tedious the grind was for that game. Sorry for the lack of Vlad, he and the rest of the vampire crew will arrive in next chapter when the reason why Weiss is in the character tag will be revealed. Next up will probably be a Malekith chapter...**

**Ask and ye shall receive, faithful reviewers and readers!**

**Have a nice day!**

**-Spook**


	5. Chapter 4: A chill to freeze the soul

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure.**_

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings.**

_Chapter 4: A chill to freeze the soul- 66 years after the end of the Great war, 25 years since the Faunus right revolution, 36 years since the disappearance of Jolene Vert._

Bracing himself for impact as the wheels of his plane hit the asphalt runway, Nicholas Schnee clenched he soft leather armrests of his plane. For the second time he had set his foot in Vacuo and rather he would have stayed back home, helping Willow to prepare for her wedding with Gelee. While his daughter was a flighty creature, he hoped that the young man he had chosen for his daughter would do well to keep their little empire running smoothly, after all the man as cunning as himself and twice as ruthless. Glancing at the warm sands surrounding the runway, Nicholas scowled.

How he hated Vacuo!

It was the place where his father and grandfather had bled and died, in a futile war against the freedom of expression and hegemony of Vale in the civilized world. These very cursed sands had spawned the monsters that continued to haunt their soldiers in the brutal war. While there had been calls for Jolene Vert and von Carstein to be tried in a tribunal for their brutal conduct in war. Of course, the matter was lost in the jubilations of it ending and after that it was hard to find anyone willing to speak against the self-proclaimed Count and his Bloodhound. After all today was the day when Wolfgang Ironwood had surrendered before the coalition of Vale and Vacuo. He could already imagine streets lined with royal flags and parades happening all across the world. The Schnee patriarch may have disagreed with his countrymen, but he was still a patriot.

However, Nicholas had little hate for Vert and von Carstein for their involvement in the war, the reason of his ire were the senders of the mysterious letter that had arrived in his office after another of his press conferences about their unification with Mistral's Hephaestus Industries, to become the main exporter of consumer goods in the current market. The sole fact that the perpetrator had managed to breach the state-of-the-art defences of his home and fooled dozens of trained huntsmen near the premises spoke for itself.

Reaching in the breast pocket of his suit jacket withdrew a white envelope of high quality with a crimson vax seal of a roaring dragon breathing flames.

"_Dear ,_" the sheet of paper greeted him with a beautiful penmanship of black ink

"_We, firstly, would like to express our salutations for the jubilation of your daughters upcoming nuptials with Jacques Gelee. Weddings are a subject of much joy and not to darken your doorstep our request is simply to join us to commemorate the end of the Great War in Mountpass, Vacuo before the young couple are to be joined in holy matrimony._"

In his grip the paper was wrinkled and still Nicholas had no idea how the sender had known of the engagement and the upcoming wedding. The merger had specially been planned so that the marriage could take place without much scrutiny! He had reread the letter multiple times, yet the next part always was unchanged

"_Our request is not a trap, but alas a reason for you to visit before your family's future expansion, which no doubt will make you quite busy. We have long forgiven the attempted prying of your agent in Ironspike Mountains and what better way to bury this hatchet than by making a new friendship? Our intention is honourable and so with our good will you are allowed to bring all of the huntsmen and other warriors to protect yourself if you feel threatened. However, we will not tolerate aggression against us._

_We will await you in Mountpass at 10 pm, local time._

_Yours sincerely,_

_A group of friends with similar ideas_"

A baffling letter to be sure, but Nicholas had taken the suggestion at heart and had taken his private six, formerly seven, man team which he called Team Bastion from their respective assignments and sent them to Vacuo ahead of himself to check out if this was no trap, sponsoring the merry band of huntsmen with their lodgings and covered expenses until he arrived. Yet the reports these men sent were usual, the underworld wasn't stirring, and the government wouldn't budge.

In Mountpass the mercenaries reported that the preparation for celebration was in full swing. Both humans and Faunus could be seen fastening decorations and hanging on flags of Vacuo and Vale to the chagrin of the Schnee Dust delegation, who in response brazenly flew their own flag from their hotel rooms.

Nicholas had tried to dissuade the men, but he knew better than to argue with them, it wouldn't do to drive a wedge between them and him, given their nationalism. Of course, he had some national pride himself, but often let it slumber for the interests of his own company he had given birth to. From a simple mine this was the rising star in commerce reigning over the most of Dust deposits in Atlas, Mistral and Vale, yet this was why he was here wasn't it? To try and negotiate with this unseen power behind Mistral to let them into the market. Some might have told him that to visit here was complete and utter foolishness, but then again he wasn't the spring chicken he used to be, while his aura and semblance were still strong, he could feel the weight in his bones and there was sharpness lost to his eyes.

From the hotel room the man with snow white hair looked out of the window into the distance up in the mountains where no doubt his hosts resided as long his agents had pried into the mysterious sender, discovering nothing, but faint whispers of strangeness in the mountains, where convoys would disappear to.

Dust, it really had been thirty-five years since Noire had been killed. There was no use pretending that the man was alive somewhere, especially in their line of business. Suddenly Nicholas Schnee felt the age creeping up to his mind and he had to support his body to the nearby chair.

Sitting down the aged man shook his head and grabbed the nearest bottle. The loud pop sent in the two huntsmen stationed outside his door, both clutching their weapons and determination radiating from their bodies. They immediately relaxed seeing the cognac bottle opened yet remained in their place. Jacques raised one of his eyebrows and poured some in the three glasses, while prompting the two of the men to join him. With some hesitation the two approached their employer and after closing the door behind them joined .

"Are you alright Bossman?" Asked the Tinkerer, a bald man with sunglasses, hailing from Southern Vale. The Doctor nodded along with his comrade and readjusted his glasses, before coughing politely

" -"

"I told you to stop calling me that!" the older man barked as he rose from his chair "We have known each other for more than forty decades, yet you never stopped calling me that didn't you?" he turned to face the two with glasses in his hands.

"What are you afraid of Hyacinth?" he asked the Doctor, gaze unflinching to the other man, who turned from his employer and his offered glass.

"I see" the man whispered before putting down the other glass. It landed with more force than necessary and the Doctor rushed over, but froze in his tracks, seeing the cold glare of Nicholas Schnee. It was like looking straight into a blizzard that would freeze you to the bone, not saying a word the bespectacled man rushed out of the suite, almost crashing the doors behind him.

"So, is this how you felt when Merlot refused your suggested upgrades?" Nicholas asked, not turning to face the remaining mercenary, who stood there unmoving.

"I know it's hard for you to talk about it… given how recent was this tragedy, but now you must understand the good doctor" he continued and spied at the Tinkerer through the reflection on the glass. Uncomfortably the man shifted in his place and Nicholas grimaced.

"You're a bastard Bossman, but you already knew that didn't you?" he bit out and yet he stayed. A wry smile appeared on the Schnee's face and he turned to his employee.

"Well we both wouldn't be here if I wasn't." He let out a small sharp laugh and gave the one of the two remaining glasses to the younger man who took the glass and emptied it in one swift motion.

"Thank you for the drink, but I'd better get some shuteye before we're going tomorrow." He apologized and, in a moment, he was out of the room, leaving the one of the wealthiest men in Remnant alone.

In a second the smile was gone, replaced with cold eyes and grim determination. His aura flared and throughout the whole room small snowflakes floated in every corner, while the lights dimmed. Nicholas Schnee didn't sleep that night, he sat there, watching the mountain range before him with his trusty revolver beside him and the premium bottle of cognac empty. The next day dawned with mercenaries being called to their master's suite.

"Gentlemen" Nicholas greeted the assembled mercenaries gathered on the lush carpet of the room. Armed to the teeth, the mercs awaited their next orders. Together they looked like a rather imposing force.

"After an hour or so, a vehicle with security will be sent down here to act as our chaperones to our hosts" he instructed, turning to the glass window pointing to the mountain range "I want all of you being ready to fight for your lives if necessary. That is all, you're dismissed until further notice."

Nothing more was there to be said as the mercenaries immediately disappeared from the room, leaving only the old man by himself. Nicholas Schnee walked over to the large window and walked outside to the balcony of his suite and stretched out. With dismay he noted that there had been more cracks than the month before and a violent coughing fit suddenly came over him. Knees buckled and only resting on the rails he could maintain upright. Sweat fell down the atlesian's face and another fit came, it almost felt like he was about to spit his entrails out. The former miner continued to cough until his breathing returned to normal.

Shaken, but otherwise unperturbed, Nicholas straightened out, ignoring this moment of weakness and spread his hands as if to hug the midday sun. Wind gently blew on his skin and the sun warmed his cheeks, but that did little to reassure him.

Near the entry of the hotel, the Trooper noticed small snowflake spiralling upwards in the air, despite the summer heat in the mountains. He paid no heed to it and continued to eat the shishkebab, while cursing about the spiciness of the food. From the whole town these small flakes could be seen travelling to the top of the hotel, where they gathered. Of course, these could be noticed by a skilled eye, but not by regular people milling about with their decorations and patrolling policemen.

On the balcony, Nicholas Schnee gathered all of the thousand snowflakes, compressing them in a tiny ball of snow, that evaporated in his palm, flying in all directions, the only evidence that remained of the snow in this summer day was his slightly damp hands. Blue light flashed through his eyes and with it his previous smile soured. Not everything had gone as planned, but at least he had been given a warning.

It seemed that his hosts were quite clear on their threats. However, Nicholas had needed to try as he never had been one to negotiate from a position of weakness if he could. Standing still for some time, the old man left one last look towards the town and left inside.

After twenty-nine minutes and fifteen seconds passed, when the Tinkerer knocked on his door, letting him know that their hosts were sending them a rather large limousine to fit all of them. Of course, Nicholas remained cautious and immediately instructed the men to hide their sidearms and keep auras on the ready.

As they stood outside of the hotel with their small briefcases, they drew stares from children and the locals, who watched them with undisguised curiosity, some even pointing like savages. The Schnee patriarch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, ready order the Trooper or Muscle to chase off the too curious, but immediately the streets seemed clear as a black limousine accompanied by two black SUV's rolled into the street.

"They couldn't be more suspicious if they tried?" Joked the Recon as he fidgeted near the other men, who merely shushed him, despite sending the youngest pointed looks. The cars were completely black, complete with tinted windows.

The entourage stopped just before them, so that Nicholas was right before the limo door and Team Bastion immediately tensed, hands were on their guns and ready to shoot as side door opened.

Outside stepped a most peculiar Bat Faunus he had ever seen. Completely bald, old with inhumanly large bat ears and black eyes, to top it all the man was dressed in full butler's uniform.

"Oh, Mr. Schnee" the Faunus bowed, not even registering the mercenaries in his position "And six…guests" he spoke the guests part strangely and gestured for them to enter the vehicle. Nicholas heard whispers behind him and a pointed look silenced both the Trooper and Recon, who were gesturing at the Bat Faunus, who ignored them, with the same sycophantic smile on his face, revealing two sharpened buck teeth, which reminded him of fangs of fruit bats.

Sharpshooter went in first, followed by Miner then Nicholas himself, then Medic, Muscle, Trooper and Recon. The butler entered then himself, closing doors behind him.

Tension in the car was palpable, all mercs were on edge and the butler still smiled. Through the windows Nicholas saw the city pass by in minutes, peculiarly no people seemed particularly interested in the convoy that glided through the streets like ghosts and as soon they were outside the city borders, the limo took a sharp turn from the mountain road and headed further from both the city and the town.

A click echoed through the room and the Faunus found his face full of guns. Not even a drop of sweat appeared on his face. Instead the smile grew wider as the one of many Beethoven pieces started to play from the multi thousand lien sound systems.

"Would prefer some refreshments?" asked the man across him and under his feet a small box full of iced champagne with glasses rose up. Nicholas, however, shook his head slightly, but didn't forbid the men to take champagne and open the bottles, some boorishly drinking from the bottles, while the more refined members grabbed a flute each.

"Not a Beet man?" the butler for the first time had lost smile on his face, replaced with genuine surprise.

Nicholas felt tempted that moment to say 'yes', just to see the reaction of the butler, but reminded himself that such conduct was no way for a man like himself act towards, especially to those lower than him.

Power wise, not any for any species related bigotry.

"I appreciate his work, but Mauszart is superior in composition" he spoke softly, remembering the dances he and his wife had danced to the soothing music of the virtuoso when they first met. But Beethoven was adequate the Atlesian supposed.

Finally the car stopped in what looked like a secret airfield, cordoned off from the Grimm, with at least ten towers, accompanied by at least thirty automated turrets and thirty men, all clad in oppressive riot gear armour from Mantle surplus after the war, while armed with Mistralli Mars class Automatic shotguns. These men meant business.

The door was suddenly opened by one of the many faceless guards, who gestured for them to climb out. The music continued to play, changing into the Moonlit Sonata.

Once Nicholas had climbed out of the vehicle, his white shoes were dirtied by the dust of the barren place they used of the field. From the cars, more men exited, with heavy metal shields and the same shotguns, masks and helmets concealing their faces.

"Ah" the Bat Faunus cleared his throat "They were merely insurance of if Grimm or any uninvited parties would dare to show their faces in our lords hospitality" he explained sheepishly, darting his head down as if disappointing someone.

As by a command the soldiers stepped away from them, forming a line behind them, backs turned towards them as if they were awaiting some sort of intruder. Nicholas stealthily grasped his extendable dagger hidden in his jacket, but nothing happened. Instead they continued to wait as the butler looked around, seemingly lost. With some amusement the man watched servile Faunus panicking and checking his watch all the time, muttering under his breath.

However, they didn't have to wait long, before from skies a great bullhead descended. Of course, it was black.

As it landed, most guards rushed in a uniformly fashion to the sides of the docking ramp. Upon closer inspection Nicholas had to admit that whoever had gone to these lengths to have him there was rich enough to afford newest military grade transport, which had been revealed few years before. While it was slightly outdated it was still impressive that they had gotten a hold of it.

The ramp descended, revealing lush crimson carpet with more guards inside, but this time clad in red armour that resembled that of a knight's, with black accent being the black dragon painted on their chests. From the slits of the helmet they could only see red eyes peering at them, eyes which seemed to seep into the soul.

"This way , this is the direct transport to his lordship's home. He was generous enough to send his private guards to greet you."

"I can see that, why this expense and secrecy?" Nicholas couldn't bear the unknown that had plagued him these past days. He was used to know things faster than they happened, but now he was one in the dark, in a hostile land, with only himself and the lads to help him through.

A grin almost broke out as the Atlesian remembered his wilder youth.

"Please be patient a bit more and all will become clear soon enough!" the attendant plead as he ushered all of them in the spacious bulkhead, which reminded more of a luxury hotel suite than a transport normally used to transport soldiers or crates. With little care, he sat himself down on one of the luxurious leather couches and wordlessly urged the men to do the same.

Then the bullhead lifted off, smoothly like a gust of wind they were carried who knows where. At least they weren't going to be killed just like that, he joked inside his head and then decided to look around. Team Bastion looked uncomfortable amidst the luxurious furnishings of the aircraft, he could see their faces as if cut in stone, only sweat dripping from their foreheads indicated their unease, yet they were professionals and Nicholas was confident that they would weather this storm. Apparently, the red guards were too, he surmised as they hadn't moved an inch since their lift-off.

Five minutes into the flight, the whole bullhead was encroached in darkness and the howls of the wind indicated that they were now underground. Rising from his seat, the CEO walked across the room, ignoring both the knights and the butler, focusing on the sight before him. Hands slackened as he saw the lights and eyes widened.

However, unlike the mercenaries, Nicholas didn't let his jaw hang open like an ape, but instead he immediately gathered his wits back and with narrowed eyes, gave the butler a look. The Faunus smirked back, but said nothing, letting them take in the scenery.

Carved into an enormous cavern lied a city beneath the mountain. If he had to guess the design from the sight alone, the plan for the city, no fortress was that of an eight pointed star melded with a circle, while numerous militaristic guard towers rose behind the fortifications. In the middle of the fortress lied a secondary wall with the grand citadel, a foreboding tower that seemed to burrow into the heart of the mountain. Unease crept upon Nicholas as he now started to realize how much power these individuals held. Shivers running down his spine was enough of an indicator for the old man to tread carefully in here.

However, questions didn't leave him alone, just who were these people? Some criminal syndicate that had taken over Mountpass in the power vacuum of Jolene Vert and Von Carstein? A religious cult that had strange dust discovered. Sentient Grimm? Undiscovered Faunus Kingdom?

Nicholas Schnee was stuck so in his stupor that he didn't notice the pale hand of the butler on his shoulder.

" " the man said quietly , not at all enjoying the discomfort on Dust magnate's face "Let me be first to welcome you to our humble abode- Totenburg!"

With a quiet hiss the bullhead opened it's doors and first departed the crimson armoured knights, who lined to the sides of the enormous balcony, which now apparently served as the landing deck for the fortress city. In the distance the light could be seen shutting off as with a roar two gargantuan stone gate closed.

The architecture was brutal and hardy, black stone, sharp angles and a variety of gargoyles surrounding the structure. On guard duty beside the knights were gargoyles, all of them depicted dragons, yet all dragons were alike in their four limbs and two huge wings.

Not far from them was stood large wooden door with another dragon hanging overhead, stuck in a pose to breathe fire. In front of the door stood more of these red guards, but now varying imposing greatswords that seemed to glow with ethereal light.

"Holy shite" quietly he heard Trooper mouth to his comrades as the mercenaries took in more sights. With a light creak the door opened and stepped forth another knight, but this time the figure wore armour of pure crimson red with golden accents and was adorned with a large white bearskin cloak, poached in Mantle no doubt.

On their hips swung a large bastard sword, and on the others a modified hand cannon, Nicholas he couldn't discern the manufacturer or the type, but from what he had seen it would be deadly.

The figure approached them and immediately all of the guards slammed their weapons into the stone pavement in a slow rhythm, as if saluting their superior.

"Enough" they barked and the voice behind the helmet was deceptively feminine. Nicholas had seen his fair share of fighters of the fairer sex, but none to use such heavy armour. The figure removed their helmet everyone of his men and himself included had a heart attack here and then.

The woman was picture perfect copy of Jolene Vert, the previous Mayor of Mountpass, down to the small scar under her eye, she had sustained in the last days of war. Yet there was one minor difference, her skin was pale down to her lips and only colour was her crimson red hair and her eyes, which he could have sworn were blue in the old photos. His men were having the similar reaction to his, while some lost their nerve and whispered among themselves, the eldest stood there silently and watched her with suspicion.

"Thank you Ingvar" she nodded to the butler, who had almost slunk back to the shadows. With a small bow he gave the woman one last salute and disappeared as almost he had never been here to begin with.

"Nicholas Schnee" she greeted him with her own small bow "fodder" she acknowledged the mercenaries with a small grin, clearly baiting them into action. Recon almost bit the bait, but thankfully the elder mercs took care of him, not letting the youngest step a single step towards the woman.

The mercenaries scowled, only to be given a wide smirk in return, revealing two rather sharp incisors in the perfect row of teeth. To this the former huntsman just shook his head and opened his mouth

"General Vert or is it just now?" he asked and scratched his beard. The Bloodhound turned from tormenting his men and her eyes narrowed, smirk shrinking by the minute. Clearing her throat, and the men around them turned away from them with the clanking of their armour.

"Just ," she answered , before stretching her hand out towards the open door "But only for now…" she said cryptically and headed forward, leaving Nicholas and the mercenaries to follow her. Steps of armoured knights behind them.

They were led through a lavish set of rooms, full of artefacts and paintings that could have shamed most galleries of museums in Remnant. On the walls hung assortments of weapons, while hallways were guarded by empty suits of armour. All of it was lightened by warm electric lights that imitated lightbulbs in chandeliers. As she was leading the men forward the Bloodhound was completely silent, yet that didn't stop the mercenaries to chatter as they examined their surroundings. Especially the weapons and paintings, many recognizing the paintings of lesser known, but still famous artists lining the walls, one thing that Nicholas noticed was that these paintings all were from the artists after the great war.

When they came up to the final door, once again guarded by two crimson guards. However, this time it was different, the room in front of them had an…aura. Funnily enough, the Schnee couldn't explain just what it was, but like a pit in the stomach it grew and grew as they drew nearer.

It felt as if a hungry Grimm Goliath was locked behind these doors and starved.

"This is the place where you leave your men" the woman said and Nicholas was about to protest as the sender had explicitly told him to bring his best with him, but the door creaking open slowly stopped him as in the farthest reach of the room he saw a figure seated at a rich black pine desk.

"M-men. Wait here until I return, weapons hot" A stutter escaped his lips and with a brisk step Nicholas Schnee stepped into the study of this mysterious group that had coerced his presence here. Behind him all mercenaries drew their guns. Only thing he heard once he entered the room was the laughter of Jolene Vert or her true name- the Bloodhound.

"YOU!" Nicholas gasped as he rested his eyes on the man sitting at the desk. That same raven black hair, crimson eyes and noble features that had charmed the entire kingdom of Vacuo during the Great War. Now instead of his black and gold armour, the Count was clad in a black and red tuxedo with the button undone. In the light of the room he looked unnaturally pale, eyes almost glowing in the darkness of the room, only light cast by the fireplace, where wood slowly burn, flakes of ash falling off the firewood. He looked the same as in the pictures, not over a day of thirty. Same as with Jolene, who should have been an old woman by now.

"Why yes it is I, Nicholas Schnee" the man turned to him flashing a toothy grin, same Jolene had, but the Count's teeth seemed sharper, his eyes wilder and most of all the aura he had felt was coming off the Count himself.

"You must be wondering just why? Why did I kill your agent and return his belongings, though you did not deserve them? Why have I called you here and now when your daughter is about to be married to your chosen successor? Why indeed as you cough up blood from your failing lungs as your days toiling in the mines come back to haunt you, why indeed?"

The Count tapped the table with his pale hand and came in a beautiful pale woman carrying a tray of Mistrallan firewater and red wine. Quietly as a mouse she set the tray on the table and scurried from the room through a different door.

"Why, Von Carstein? I do think you owe me an explanation after all this trouble to get me here, heh" Nicholas asked as he filled the glass of vodka himself and emptied it in one gulp, feeling the pleasant burn through his system. Von Carstein shot him a look of veiled amusement and poured a glass himself. Though the wine looked too red.

"I admit that you have a right to that Nicholas, but there is much more you can gain if you would listen to mine offer." The Count swirled the crimson liquid around in the glass and pointed it at him "Listen and all will become clear."

"Go on…" the CEO said and poured himself another glass. Von Carstein offered him a smile and began "You almost hold the monopoly of Dust trade around the globe, Vacuo being the only one to bar your company access. I can persuade the royal family to part with their treasures, but there is something I want in exchange." He softly spoke and behind him Nicholas saw a map of Remnant, with lines drawn onto it and little flags stamped onto greatest settlements.

"And what is that?"

"I want it all Nicholas"

What did the Count mean by it?

"Your health is failing you is it not?" the Count said almost casually as he continued his drink. Nicholas Schnee grimaced as this was not a topic he wished to discuss.

"It is, but my medical history is none of your business!" he snapped and Von Carstein set down the glass and laughed, this time it was a bitter and mocking laughter.

"Of course, it is not my matter, but is it not why you have set your daughter to marry so soon. Especially against her will?" The swordsman scratched his chin absentmindedly.

"Married to a cold man to make sure your legacy lives on rather than be wasted on some miserable little poet, am I right?"

"How do you know this?" Nicholas this time choked out and the Count offered him sympathetic look.

"I have my ways" he answered enigmatically. The Schnee patriarch froze in his seat as he now knew that Atlas wasn't safe from Von Carstein and his strange forces, that he had very limited choice in the matter that would impact countless lives.

"However, what would you say if I offered your family the entire world on a platter?"

Nicholas Schnee left Mountpass with his entourage later that day and headed back to Atlas, where he collapsed on the floor as soon as he stepped past the threshold. His son in law Jacques was with him the entire time and didn't knew what to make from the old man's ramblings about monsters and that he needed to be vary for their legacy.

Yet when he recovered, Nicholas didn't say anything more to Jacques about his moment of weakness after Vacuo, but instead urged the young man to be on guard if their child would be a girl. The moustachioed man shrugged and took those words as those of an old man at the end of his life and disregarded them, wanting to think the best of his employer that now was almost like a second father to him.

In the wedding Nicholas had been the jolly vibrant old man his public persona portrayed, but before Jacques became a Schnee, Nicholas told him one final advice with such serious tone, that Jacques Gelee would remember these words for the rest of his life.

"Don't trust people with cold hands." Which was ironic since the Schnees had a semblance that was mostly made of ice and manipulation of it.

The founder of the Schnee Dust Company passed away three days after the wedding. Among the wedding gifts, Jacques Schnee received a peculiar package which was that of a ring with blood red snowflake in the middle of the largest diamond he had ever seen.

In Mountpass the first Schnee Dust Mine overseer to work in the office was a bald Bat Faunus, with most peculiar red eyes.

**A.N: Tis' a wrap before all Hallows Eve!**

**So we saw the end of Nicholas Schnee, I have to wonder what did Vlad say to him to change affect him so. I'm sorry, next time Vlad and Isabella will receive full spotlight as the story moves to present day, which means all the fun stuff and maybe some steamy action.**

**Have a Spooktacular Halloween and have fun! Summoning of eldritch spirits, demons or waifu's isn't advised. Though I may be doing some story necromancy :D**

**Have a fun one**

**-Spook**


	6. Chapter 5: Overture (M)

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure.**_

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings.**

**Chapter 5: Overture (M) – an hour after Nicholas' Schnee's departure- 66 years after the Great War-25 years since the Faunus Rights Revolution- 36 years after the disappearance of Jolene Vert and an hour after Nicholas Schnee's departure from Totenburg.**

"Was it really wise to let them go?" a hand strayed, undoing buttons of the tuxedo shirt, grabbing at the taut muscle underneath.

"There was no need for them to be killed, we would lose a valuable set of eyes and ears that way, my gentle star" lips captured her and their tongues mingled with delicious blood, while in the fireplace, the wood roared. Isabella von Carstein sat in her husband's lap, smiling positively decadently. Her white hair was undone, letting it cascade like a river of milk down her backside as her own shirt was nearly unbuttoned, showing the swell of her breasts, imprisoned in black silk lingerie. In her hand an ordinary goblet rested, flowing with lifeblood of the finest cattle in their service.

"Oh, moonlight" the vampire countess whimpered as her husband withdrew his lips from her own, settling for the nape of her neck. Immediately, like a vail of a banshee, Isabella screamed full of extasy as his hands roamed her body, groping and kneading her breasts. The feeling of sharp nails and teeth playfully rending her flesh threatened to overwhelm her senses.

"Do not even think of stopping!" she moaned and with her free hand grasped his raven mane, before draining the goblet. With her free hand the woman threw away the empty goblet, not paying attention that it landed onto a stack of papers with a soft thud and instead guided Vlad's fangs to her throat, where blood flowed down to sate her eternal thirst.

Shivers went down her spine as her husband released her neck and drew his attention to her throat, where the juice of life flowed. He raised an eyebrow in question, but her hands pushing the Vampire Lord to maul his wife was the only order he needed.

Isabella screamed as Vlad tore her throat open and drank from her. It was fire and ice, pain and pleasure, agony and extasy, nay even more potent feelings. Her life in his hands, the power she had over him! The heiress of Von Drak knew that Vlad would never want to harm her, yet that due her urging he did was the greatest evidence of her power over him. For him to defy his principles for her was the greatest victory she could claim as her own!

If she could speak, she would have teased him.

As Vlad finished healing her, magic surged from his fingertips, jolting through her and fixing her ruined flesh, his wife, the insatiable, wicked minx looked pleased with herself. She turned into his lap, so that her hips were pressed to his and her strong thighs imprisoned the feared Vampire Count into her embrace. She pressed him strongly into her chest and purred. Despite this her love took the hint and buried his face into her breasts and the feeling of his teeth biting into the undergarments made Isabella a very happy woman.

"What a fiend you are!" she teased as Vlad tore her bra apart like a terrorgheist would a horse, spitting it into fireplace.

"How could I have married such a sava-" Isabella couldn't finish the word as she shuddered in pleasure as he gently raked his claws across her back, leaving shallow cuts. Wounds vanished in a moment, yet the throes of pleasure continued as the Vampire grabbed his lover by her buttocks and stood up from the leather armchair.

As by a reflex the noblewoman wrapped her legs around him.

Carrying both to the nearest couch, the vampires collapsed into the soft cushions. Now Being freed from his wife's embrace, Vlad could set the pace to his liking. Using his tuxedo sash, the vampire bound her arms behind her, leaving her naked breasts spill on her chest, almost glowing softly in the light cast by the fire. One pointed glare told Isabella that there would be trouble if she wouldn't stay put.

"Oh, no whatever shall I do?" she tried to sound terrified, but it sounded more like laughter "I am nothing, but a poor nobleman's only daughter please, sir-"

"Shut up wench" Vlad growled almost playfully as he quickly took off his jacket and shirt, showing off to the bound Isabella, who couldn't contain her laughter no more.

"I have no- Bwahahaha" she broke character and flashed her husband a look promising untold pleasure if he would only hurry up.

"Vlad," she called to him "I want you to remember your duties to your wife!" It certainly sounded courtlier than what she wanted, but long past her lord had need precise instructions on what she wanted, they both knew other like the back of their hand. To this Vlad merely raised an eyebrow and approached her. Slowly he sat down between her thighs and Isabella's breath hitched.

No matter that they had done this for over hundreds of years, the vampires felt her breath hitch as he undressed her. Immediately her memories turned to her wedding day and the sheer terror she felt going to his bed.

Yet the fear had disappeared and replaced with the new emotion, anticipation. She awaited his lips, fangs and claws, with which he would use to create a masterpiece of her body, scarlet, violet blue and white. Bringing her to the depths of agony and peaks of pleasure, let it be said that Isabella von Carstein was an adept student and learned quickly and found her artistic talents were compatible with those of her beloved's.

She shivered as he cut apart her skirt and let his hands roam across her alabaster flesh. Smoothly gliding over her toned stomach, stopping for her full breasts, whose peaks showed his defiance with their pale colour. Immediately the sharp nails worked to change that, making the woman howl with pleasure and even rise up to meet him in the ferocity of his assault. She rose up, surprising the other vampire and bringing her lips to his own, despite keeping her arms bound.

Their tongues waged a war of passion and dominance; however, their hands had a war of their own. Vlad had let go of her now rosy nipples and torn off both her binds and invaded her most private sanctuary with his fingers.

"Mmmmm" Isabella moaned into his mouth, but continued her own raids, tearing his pants to shreds and sieging his grand cannon, squeezing and stroking. It seemed that it was necessary to change tactics and the Vampire Count left his own assault to break the siege with his reinforcements and push into the victory.

The Countess conceded her defeat as their hips joined as one. She ended their kiss to push him back into the couch, smiling deviously as her finger drew lines in his hairy chest. Her husband caressed her neck with one hand and wanted to pull her closer, yet Isabella found it her time to strike, pushing the Count on his back and placing her palms on her chest, grabbing the thick hair as she rode him.

Vlad gasped as she rose and fell back onto him, using her aristocratic knowledge of riding horse to ride him like one. He smirked and grabbed onto her hips while he pushed into her with his own.

"…I…"

"…Missed…"

"…This…"

She said with hitched breath as she felt her love hitting all her spots every time they met in the middle. He smiled and looked into her glowing eyes with the same smile that had won her over in that stormy night.

"As…have…I!" he softly spoke and bolted upright kissing her. With a muffled shriek of delight, Isabella embraced her lord husband.

Their bodies joined like snakes in mating, the two- husband and wife through their forms, human, vampire or even in the middle to be closer to one another. Moans and groans of pleasure followed by proclamations of eternal love that would drive lesser men and women mad with envy. Only after a new day broke, the shouts and sounds from the room stopped, replaced by deathly silence.

Meanwhile just outside the room three women stood, all of them with flushed cheeks and soiled underwear. First to speak up was Melissa, who had been quite taken with Remnant fashion, having replaced her outfit with that of a maid. However, despite her dutiful look, the hand under her skirt betrayed her feelings on the subject.

"Damn" she cursed "We should have joined them!" she hissed quietly to the amusement of her sister and anger of Jolene, who had suffered in silence due to her uniform.

"And get locked into a coffin for a decade for messing with Lady Isabella's 'personal time' with Master?" Emanuelle hissed, before holding back a whimper as she lowered settings on a little remote in her hand.

"We can always just ask them" Jolene said naively, which was answered with mocking laughter from the other vampires who beside her maid sister was dressed up in a very professional looking suit with armored pauldrons and gauntlets.

"Sister" Emanuelle approached the redhead and put a gauntleted hand on her shoulder "I know you love the Count, we all do, but mistress is his lady wife, which makes her the second in command in this little 'family'" the former general was about to say something, but Emanuelle didn't let her. With an authoritative shove against the wall, she deeply kissed the younger woman, much to her shock. A wolf whistle came from Melissa, who had started to pant lightly, making Jolene shoot another evil glare towards the other woman.

"What the hell?!" she asked and pushed the suited woman from her, who merely blew a kiss her way, crossing her arms. In her eyes a glitter flickered that Jolene had seen in Vlad's that hotel room and after that night she had promised that nothing like that would ever repeat again without her full agreement.

"What's the matter?" Emanuelle teased the flustered vampire "Didn't you already sample a taste of the sisterhood?" Immediately Jolene was brought back to Isabella and shudder wracked her entire body, which made the white-haired woman smile even more.

"This is the norm with us," to this Melissa nodded, continuing her ministrations, assaulting the sense of smell of everyone in the room with her arousal.

"Whenever they get their alone time, we have to help ourselves with release, you know what I mean?" the vampire knightess leered with a wink.

"Of course, you can always find some cattle or a lowly wight to satisfy your urges" now she was full of derision and the Bloodhound could do naught, but scowl. Emanuelle continued to smirk, before Jolene flashed across the room and kissed her. In the surprise she forgot to pay attention to her little remote.

"Ha, I knew you'd come-" The vampire clasped her mouth shut with her hand and bit back an overwhelming moan as Jolene with a smirk adjusted the setting to the highest possible. Without a word, the woman grabbed the younger vampire by hand and disappeared along the hallway to their own room, leaving Melissa there, confused and busy with her own ministrations as well as the sounds from behind the closed door. When a particularly loud moan could be heard and followed by something breaking, the maid increased the tempo.

When a disheveled Vlad carried an equally disheveled Isabella covered in a bearskin rug, the vampire couple were faced with a most interesting scene before them. A carpet beside the door sported a rather large wet blot that reeked of female rutting and in a distance the sound of running, followed by a closed door. The Count and Countess shared one look, before shaking their heads and meeting in another kiss, before making their way to their bedroom, where they would resume their fight of passions as the study could not survive it.

Once the sun had set a knock on the door opened the eyes of Vlad von Carstein, who brought himself out of his wife's embrace with great difficulty.

"What is it that requires my immediate attention?" Vlad growled, but the voice of Jolene sounding horrified did wonders of making the Vampire Lord get out of the giant bed. Beside him, Isabella hogged the thick pelts and sheets, covering her mesmerizing body, which made her husband immediately shake himself out of the trance and dress himself in a crimson black robe and put on his slippers, before taking a sip from the blood fountain in the middle of the room, where they had used the Chalice of Battori to create a reservoir of blood that would never dry out.

Opening the door, he was immediately greeted by the flushed faces of all of their female minions, while the bat beastman chosen as his retainer- Erebus stood with a shotgun prepared. He noted the fact and looked straight into Jolene's eyes, who had her own gunblade at the ready along her shield. The fact that all of them were armed spoke levels of what had happened.

"I take it that this is a serious matter, is it not?" Vlad brushed his hair back, before tying them into a single braid, ignoring the stares of everyone in the hallway. Jolene shrunk from his sight and the Count could smell the embarrassment. Sighing he pinched the bridge of his nose and asked

"What happened?"

"One of the Varghulfs has taken the entire incubation wing hostage, my lord" softly spoke Erebus, before the former general could answer.

Vlad raised an eyebrow before drawing in a breath and roaring

"**WHAT DO TOU MEAN A VARGHULF HAS TAKEN OVER THE INCUBATION WING?! HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?"** The Count turned into his most bestial of forms, Wings growing through the robe, hands turning into razor sharp claws and once beautiful face- a bestial maw full of hatred and violence. With satisfaction the other vampires shrank and cowered from baleful gaze. Satisfied with the regret of his minions, the wings retracted, and claws returned to hands, while the frightening maw had once again become a face even the most beautiful would be jealous of.

"Never mind, "he sighed and walked back into the bedroom, leaving the three vampires and a Faunus standing there, confused.

After couple of seconds he returned with his glowing blade in hand, still only wearing a bathrobe.

"What are you looking at?" Vlad snarled and waltzed off, leaving Jolene and Erebus chasing after him. Melissa was about to join the rest, but a hand grabbing her by the collar of her uniform held her in place.

"Emanuelle" she hissed at her sister, who giggled and nudged towards the bedroom. Immediately the other vampire's eyes glowed with clarity and a lecherous smile appeared on her face.

"I see what you mean" she giggled.

"Shh" Emanuelle hissed and the vampire maid immediately became quiet as a mouse and both snuck into the bedchamber of the Von Carsteins. Their alluring prize, like a diamond on a velvet pillow lied in a bed, surrounded by furs, soft sheets. Her hair spilling around the bed.

Both vampiresses shared a look. They knew that this was one of their rarer opportunities to get their mistress for themselves without having to share with the domineering count, who would merely use them as tools for his pleasure, not caring about them as persons, unlike Isabella who treated them with kindness and returned their affections. Too bad Vlad was too good looking to be hated. Hastily the two discarded all of their clothes and weapons on the floor, before climbing into the bed.

Emanuelle slid under the sheets and widened her eyes in surprise as she saw Melissa brazenly slink under the furs in which their lady lied. Pulling the sheets over her head, the Posner heiress muffled her growls as she imagined just what the other woman was doing. Yet due to some perverted curiosity she wanted to know just exactly what was happening and snuck her head outside to covers only to see Isabella moaning in her sleep as under the furs she spied Melissa moving between her legs.

"Mmm…Vlad…" the Countess yawned and stretched out, before opening her eyes. Emanuelle saw this and cursed, before vanishing into mist. Flattening the furs where she had lied. Slowly dispersing the vampire saw that their most wonderful mistress hadn't realized that it was not Vlad who had decided to wake her up in such romantic fashion. She fled to the great window covered by drapes and materialized behind them, naked. Slowly grabbing the handle of the great window, she opened the clasp, letting gentle breeze to open the window. Subconsciously she had made a genius decision as seconds after Isabella lifted the furs to embrace her husband and instead of boundless affection for him she, quite understandably was filled with rage.

"**Oh, what do we have here?!**" she snarled and turned into her more monstrous form, making Melissa scramble backwards off the bed "**Melissa Rhatep, I didn't expect you to be so brazen as to make give my husband the horns. For this insult I will see that you **_**suffer**_" the last word was little more than a loud hiss, but it was enough for her to get her meaning across to the girl.

"Please mistress I meant nothing bad, just to warm you up for his embrace when he returned" Melissa tried to find a way out, but Isabella was too angry and disappointed in the reality to quit.

"**My wayward pet**" she cooed and approached the vampires, completely predatory with malice in her eyes "**You are so burning with fashion that I think a nice coffin would suffice to cool you down!**"

"I wasn't alone mistress" Melissa screeched as she pointed at the curtain "Emanuelle was with me!"

"Shit" cursed Emanuelle under her breath and collapsed back into her mist form. Isabella, however wasn't fooled and let out another scream of rage and rushed towards the vampires, who immediately fled through the window into the city beyond, leaving Isabella standing naked and angry before the window, but worst of all she had an itch that needed scratching. She needed to find her husband, then the two miscreants and then punish them together.

With a smile on her face and a leisurely dress, the Countess set out to braid her own hair, before going to find Vlad, he always liked when she did her hair.

At the same time Vlad von Carstein was experiencing the more unusual occurrences in his career. Who would have thought that there could be an intelligent varghulf?! Currently instead of excitement it was that of fury as the being was lucid enough to comprehend that was happening around it and brazen enough to demand there was an explanation that was going on and then returned to his normal form, and to top it all, the varghulf wanted to be free! Preposterous, yet Vlad understood its desire and could even respect it, but he could potentially endanger his goals so this needed to be dealt with and fast.

Especially since the Varghulf incubation wings housed hundreds of these monsters.

Sighing Vlad entered the incubation wing, to call it a wing was bit too much as it was mostly a huge bombed cavern with holes in the walls filled with sedated vampires, who were transforming into their feral forms. Tables were turned over, sedative cases smashed, Vlad already felt a headache this would cause

If more of them would break out, it would be a disaster. Especially for the phase of the plan!

Corpses of wights and thralls littered the floor of the cavern and blood was dripping everywhere. What mess, Vlad shook his head and sought his quarry through the dark caverns.

"_**YOU**_" A voice called through the shadows and the vampire Count brought his out his sword almost immediately "_**YOU…LIKE…ME**_" the varghulf spoke and now Vlad could see it. The corrupted vampire had crawled back into its hole and drawn itself into a ball, surrounding it's face with its wings.

"Yes I am" Vlad called out and immediately shifted into his monstrous form, wishing to build a rapport with the monster, leaving the sword on a nearby table.

"**Why don't you come down friend?**" He asked loudly and soon was rewarded with a thud that sent particles of dust flying around it. Now that Vlad could see the varghulf in question, it was smaller than those of a previous batch and looked more like Strigoi than a beast. Vlad tilted his head to appraise the creature.

"_**YOU…NORMAL…HOW?**_" it asked as it shambled towards and Vlad let out his magic, seeking just what was wrong with the creature. It prodded and looked into every nook and cranny of its physique, and could only find that its own Semblance, was the word the humans and beastmen used for their soul sorcery, was at fault, slowing the starvation and the subsequent mutation. Now this was a predicament, Vlad found himself in. On one hand he had a sentient varghulf, on the other, the varghulf in question wanted to return to its less beastly form and thus maybe getting the ability to change these forms at will, even if it was cut off magic.

As gears in the Count's head turned, the beast spoke, lowering its head to the Count's level. With what was almost a whine, it plead to Von Carstein.

"_**IF…I…SERVE…YOU…HELP?**_" it asked, and the former Count of Sylvania felt something tugging at his undead heartstrings. Would it really be a setback if he would help this poor creature? One intelligent enough to freely offer its services for a possible cure. Since now that it was awake, no longer it would degenerate meaning that it's state would be stable for the operation and who knows how far he would get with the beast.

"**I cannot promise you cure, but if you work for me, I will try to restore you to your splendor, friend! Is this good for you?**" Vlad asked and the creature nodded, a smile on its maw, making the Vampire Lord smile in turn as he had never seen a varghulf smile and it was adorable!

"_**FRIEND…MY…NAME?**_" it asked, and the Count didn't know it as none really kept note of these cattle to be transformed into their kind or the aristocracy, so now Vlad was left with quite the task- to give a name to a sentient varghulf. He supposed it was as if naming a pet, but he felt some respect to the creature for its reason and thought a fitting name for it.

Vlad walked around the room thinking about the possible name, while the creature looked at him with puzzlement. Like a pendulum, it's head followed the Count and in one moment the creature just sat down and rested it's head on its wings. After five minutes he had come up with a name.

"**How about Korg?**" Vlad asked and the creature tilted it's head and looked like he was thinking it over and the Count stood there, waiting.

"_**KORG…IS…FINE**_!" It smiled, revealing the sharpened teeth and Vlad smiled back, before shifting into his human form and approached the beast…err…Korg.

"Can I pet you?" the dreaded Von Carstein asked and Korg nodded and for the first time in ages Vlad had touched a varghulf fur. To his surprise it was much softer than that of a bear. What both of them didn't know that they had made a friend.

"Such soft fur" Vlad murmured as he continued to pet the huge bat creature, who purred at the ministrations of the vampire, until he stopped and grabbed his sword, before motioning the varghulf to follow him.

"Come with me, lets meet with my other friends Korg. They will like you!" he patted Korg on their snout and walked to the exit of the chamber where the rest would await them. When they returned from their little talk, Vlad saw a rather strange sight. In front of the door was gathered a sizeable battalion of wights, armed to teeth, while behind them waited Jolene with sword drawn with Erebus who had his crossbow out. However, what surprised him the most was Isabella sitting on a living throne made from Melissa and Emanuelle, who both wore heavy chains and ball gags.

As soon as she saw him, Isabella sent him flying kiss in his direction.

"Stand down everyone!" Vlad commanded and immediately everyone laid down their weapons and stepped aside for their lord. Jolene particularly was surprised, yet Erebus still had the same unreadable expression on his face as always. Turning to the buttler Vlad spoke to him "Erebus, This is Korg, he will be our chief vanguard for the Dervish offensive, make sure you treat him well, my friend" The Count flashed a smile at the beastman and approached Isabella on her makeshift throne.

"I never thought you ever got me a dog like most men would do" she teased as she looked at the varghulf, who gently tried to shake the beastman's arm, only to shake it almost too violently and drain the aura of the man, much to it's own distress.

"Korg is a friend" Vlad adamant and crossed his hands over his chest "Besides I see you have finally made your own pets wear collars" he leered towards the two captive vampires.

"Oh yes husband of mine" she laughed and slapped the behind of Melissa on whom she sat, leaving the supple flesh stinging red "These two need a lesson on what they can touch and what they cannot"

Immediately Vlad's curiosity was piqued. A grin wormed it's way on his face and he whistled, calling Jolene. Like a whirlwind the woman was near him, flushing beet red as she saw the fate of the other servant vampires.

"Jolene, how would you like to have a hand in training these two?" Vlad asked as he cupped her cheek and the redhead thought of just how much she could get away with in this current situation. Naturally there was only one answer she could give

"It would be my pleasure Sir!" she smiled sadistically and both Melissa and Emanuelle shared a worried look.

"Splendid" the Sylvanian Elector Count spoke and turned to Isabella "Let Jolene have her fun training these two, you do remember our little side project, don't you?"

Now it was Isabella's turn to smile like a maniac.

"Oh, moonlight. I thought that you'd never ask!"

**A.N : This is a wrap and a little pent up desire to write some smut. Hereby I toast to first Vlad x Isabella smut on this site ( I'd like to smash champagne against the ship, but GW already sunk it in End Times) Next up is the devilishly intricate plan of Vlad von Carstein and how unfortunate people can become when they deal with our Vampire Count. I hope you like Korg, he won't appear often, but when he will the fluff will be teeth rotting. So I just figured out how to make Vlad a legit ruler in this story and now it's smooth sailing from here.**

**To Anon: Nicholas and Vlad both know it that the Schnee lost and Vlad merely gave the old man a courtesy to die in his own bed.**

**That's all folks! Have a nice day, be merry, marry ,I don't care and see you all next time**

**-Spook**


	7. Chapter 6: Team RWBY

_**MANFREEED!**_

**A tale of the Von Carstein remnants in Remnant**

_**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the material here except my own OC's like the Wight king Ruprecht von Failure **_

**Warning: Rated B+ for Blood, Breasts, Beasts and Best Boi Vlad. Follows the Total War: Warhammer 2 Mortal empires with Vlad. I may or may have not given vampires wings**_**.**_

_**A.N: Finally, we're here! To the part where it all comes together! Before you ask, yes I did plan this in advance**_

_Chapter 6: Team RWBY- Present day, 90 years after the Great War_

Blake Belladonna was running. With a bag of her only possessions on her back, the Cat Faunus sped through the forests, after her betrayal of the White Fang, having left Adam to the tender mercies of whatever SDC forces remained. A part of her wished that he'd perish in the struggle, leaving behind only the memories for her mentor and one-time lover. Deep in the girl's heart she regretted leaving him, but Blake had long before known that she couldn't stay with the monster he had become.

With her breath heaving, the girl jumped past tree branches, over fallen trunks and boulders, intent on reaching the city before sundown. While the Fang had been mostly prepared to fight humans, the Grimm were a problem enough so that the people would be briefed about them, but most thought that they never would have to deal with these beasts on their own, especially when they had Faunii like Adam Taurus serving as the hammer of their forces. She knew that enough of the monsters plagued the deepest recesses of the forest and Blake knew just why the Train tracks were so far above the trees.

Through her yellow eyes, the Faunus saw the sun starting to descend from the sky, tinging the already red forest in orange colours and darker shadows.

She needed to press on, regardless what awaited her, Blake had her gear with her, but she didn't wish to leave her fate to chance, with Grimm on and about. So the heiress of the White Fang ran and ran, until she came upon a strange sight, still miles away from the city.

The trees had been felled in strange fashion, seeming much more like a work of a blade than those of woodcutting machines. What was even stranger that this place was not even close to the standard foresting sites used by Vale Forest Foundation. Looking around the girl approached the trees and as soon as she crouched, her sense of smell was assaulted by odour of freshly spilled blood. Grimacing visibly, the girl shook her head, wondering just had become of the owner of the blood and what was

Looking around she now noticed that she had overlooked some of the details in favour of the fallen trees, such being scorch marks on the ground further away from her and tracks as if something had been dragged away from the location deeper into the woods. Drawing Gambol Shroud in the pistol form, Blake decided to investigate, regardless of chastising herself of her choices.

Curiosity killed the cat, for such a racist saying it was too true sometimes.

The leaves slowly crumbled beneath her feet and despite the dread she felt of possibly facing Grimm or some other beast, the Faunus pressed forward. Her ears listened for the tiniest hint of movement a sound in the darkness. Thankfully she was near the city, where the Grimm population was much lower than on the outskirts, pursing her lips, she was reluctant to admit to herself, but Shcnees had done well in clearing out the place of any Grimm.

However, all of their success was made on the backs of the poor downtrodden Faunii.

As she crept further and further, the tracks still remained. On the ground, she noticed that additional tracks led further, footprints of something large and on four feet. This was strange as Grimm rarely dragged their prey further, deciding to devour and maim on the spot, leaving only the gruesome remains for someone else to find. Scholars had theorized that this was an instinctive tactic for them to terrify and make inhabitants of Remnant to feel negative emotions and thus amplify their own forces. Of course, most of acclaimed of professors and huntsmen of the Grimm denied this fact, citing that the beasts did as beasts were to do and left their corpses there.

Something was shining through the woods and Blake's light sensitive eyes immediately caught onto the flickering orange that could not have been nothing else than a campfire. Why was the campfire here? Who was using it? What had happened to the blood trail? These and many more questions haunted the Cat Faunus and still on her guard, she crept forward, past the bushes, toward the source of fire. All civilized beings knew that fire was dangerous, but in wilderness there was nothing more comfortable than a safe haven from the ills of the world and greeting a face much like her own.

Parting the last of bushes, the girl stepped into the clearing housing the campfire, but was surprised that instead of a tent or other equipment that could have belonged to huntsmen or different adventurer, a stagecoach wrought of silver and black ebony lied next to it, while a small table had been set next to it.

"Do not be afraid girl" a voice behind her said and Blake in her catlike nature, fled into the clearing with a brilliant backflip, just to see who had managed to sneak up on her. Managing to stand up, she came face to face with a white-haired maid, who surprisingly had kept her uniform clear in this forest. Yet there was something off about the maid. Her piercing blue eyes-for one, made her almost mistake the woman for a Schnee, but while being roughly the same age as herself, the way she acted was way too stiff for a teenager.

"Who are you?" Blake had her sights aimed at the strange maid, who unhurriedly advanced into the clearing, pushing the black-haired girl further back.

"Emanuelle Rhatep, at your service" she bowed and looked her straight into the eye "And who might you be, weary traveller?" there was a slightly shrill quality about her voice that broke her beauty and while Blake knew it was a bad idea to reveal this stranger her name.

"Blake Beladonna" she nodded her head, yet didn't let go of her weapon, which the other girl noticed giving her a small tight-lipped smile.

"My lady, why do you continue to aim your weapon at me? I am, but a mere maid guiding my mistress on her journey to Vale"

"Yet why would you use this carriage instead of a bulkhead or a train?" the Faunus called the maid's bluff, but lowered her weapon, opting it to keep it, lest something went south. Emanuelle, as she introduced herself, sighed in pity, pointing her head in the direction of the carriage.

"Lady Isabella is very sensitive to electronics and due to her semblance, it makes them deadly to her. There are few other ways to travel with this level of comfort. We were just readying up for the supper, would you mind joining us?"

There was a glint in her eyes and Blake didn't find it odd that the once alive forest was now completely silent, like before a storm.

In Vale, the central tower of Beacon, Headmaster was reading over a paper concerning couple of worrying news. In these past twenty years, rumours had steadily been spreading through Vacuo and Mistral. Mostly odd whispers and gossip of travellers, but all spoke of bat-like creatures towering above Berringels that snatched cattle from farms and with the increased disappearance of travellers in the Kindom of Vacuo, it was eyebrows raising and strange as the creatures or the missing persons were happening at the same time, most likely coming from the same area.

Maps sprung on the holographic display around him, showing all possible sightings and all of the vanished travellers, the red dots slowly started to coalescence to a one great circle, which was just from where these rumours were coming from.

Vacuo, more specifically Ironpass Mountains. This name left a bad taste on his tongue, another window popped up with another pdf file, titled "Jolene Vert: Bloodhound of Vacuo" while it was not the nicest literature about the biography of the celebrated general, it paid inordinate amounts of attention to Von Carstein, going as far as even saying that he was a reason why she had even left Mountpass alive. While the author mentioned was academically discredited and barred from most publishing houses across Remnant, Ozpin suspected that Jolene Vert had taken offense to it.

Interesting part of the book, dismissed as a conspiracy by everyone claimed that Vlad von Carstein was using the woman as a puppet to integrate himself with Vacuo, to use it as a springboard for his political career, citing the questionably brutal warfare the Bloodhound waged and how often, despite having no formal military title, the strange Count always seemed to be a part of the military meetings. This bode badly for him, now that with almost 100% certainty the headmaster knew that Vlad von Carstein was a powerful piece, maybe even a participant in the game between him and Salem.

Grabbing the mug of coffee on the table, Ozma took a hearty swig, only realizing with distaste that due to his indecisiveness the coffee had gone cold.

A ping alerted him to a call addressed to him, showing an icon of a white tower.

"Yes, James?" he spoke aloud, minimizing his current research to give full attention to the cyborg.

"Ozpin, you are aware of that Crimson Path recently got permission from the Queen of Vacuo to found it's first church?"

Now that was another unwelcome thought. Just scant few years ago a new trend in cults had spilled over remnant. The Crimson Path, a self-described religion of spiritual cleansing had become popular in Mistral and Vacuo. Citing reason that too many blood had been spilt for their wars, these madmen preached about sacrificing their blood of their own free will to heal the wounds dealt to the world. It was ridiculous, but sadly the common masses were too easily led by smoke and mirrors. He would know as he had partaken in the same sinister scheming in his first millennia of immortality.

"I was aware of them. This does sound rather Grimm, doesn't it?" he let out a dry laugh and continued to drink his coffee, knowing that James didn't find his little joke hilarious. He had told the black haired man to relax time and time again, but apart from his dourness, no fault could be found in James Ironwood.

"I won't let them into Atlas and I suggest you do the same, Ozpin, if this cult will spread we may suffer the Colourless once more"

Now Ozpin drew a sharp breath, the Colourless or the Old Guard of Mantle had caused the Great War with the same fervour as themselves, citing emotion as all the ills of society. Yet it would be hard to limit them, free expression and the boom of cultural development that followed after wasn't without its drawback.

"James, as much as I want to agree with you, the freedom of speech and religion is a serious thing. After all it was why the war was waged, the rest of Remnant won't take kindly for someone to barr a religion, especially from Atlas. Even more so from an Ironwood"

The general went silent and Ozpin kicked himself, after all this time and he had never learned to truly understand his comrades.

"While you can't act against them outright, you can always send someone to investigate and wait till they slip up, old friend." He offered encouraging words, knowing that Ironwood fared much worse, due to Schnees and other industrialists holding much stranglehold on Atlas, not to mention Robyn Hill, who, despite her anarchistic tendencies was gaining support and fast.

"I'll have my best men and women on the case" he said, and Ozpin cringed, the poor man was not meant for much multitasking. Gently coughing, the headmaster set to correct his trail of thought

"Do not forget about the Queen and her pawns. We must be as vigilant as always, old friend."

"Understood, Ozpin." He needed not to see the man, to know that the Atlesian had nodded "Please do keep an eye on , Jacques couldn't shut up about it today."

"No worries, I'll do just that. But lets speak later, for tomorrow is the application ceremony and there is a lot of paperwork to be done"

"As you wish, sir. Goodbye" Oh how he sometimes hated the formality of militarism, but some things couldn't be helped and the Wizard would do everything in his power not to let Salem succeed, but sometimes doubt slipped into his heart that he may be to stop the woman he once had loved.

As the shattered moon shone from the night sky, the oldest man on Remnant continued to pour over the mysterious existence of Vlad von Carstein.

It was early in the morning, when the private jet from Atlas landed in Vale National Airport. With Atlesian Knights and SDC security patrolling the hangars, while customs officers and local policemen merely pretended that there was nothing to see, even if all was going accordingly to the plan and having been sufficiently briefed by the Council. After all, it was extremely bad for a country to antagonize such an important man, as Jacques Schnee who held near and almost complete monopoly on Dust, now that Vacuo had parted from most of their reserves.

Descending from the plane was not some stuffy executive or an enforcer to deal with the dust robberies, but a young girl, no older than seventeen, with hair white as snow and blue eyes like the ocean on a calm day. The aura of command surrounded her or maybe those were just her servants with suitcases upon suitcases.

This was Weiss Schnee, the heiress of the richest company in the history of Remnant, an accomplished fencer and a onetime popstar with the hit single "Baby it's cold outside". Unhurriedly and gracefully she stepped across the red carpet to the plane, while followed by her entourage of bodyguards and butlers. With consummate care they deposited their charge's suitcases and bags, all white with red accents, into the bullhead.

She nodded quietly, as if thanking her servants and along two of them, she climbed inside the vehicle, taking her seat between the bodyguards, as per her training. Still if one would have paid attention, Weiss Schnee was beaming with joy, despite her demure demeanour. Finally she was out of Winter's shadow, finally she was free to become huntress like grandpa!

Beware Beacon! Weiss would show them what it meant to become a real huntress!

The reality was a bit different to her as soon as the white haired girl had boarded the bullhead onto the Huntsmen Academy, she was assaulted by the crowded space and the sheer nosiness of the other applicants. While some were boorish and brash, she found most of the other students tolerable.

Not one for mingling with strangers and unnecessary small talk, she found a nice cosy alcove, wherein to rest for a bit. Drawing the SDC Dust primer, Weiss started to read, not that she did it out of any love for the volatile crystals that was her family's lifeblood, but that long since she had even suggested to her father the possibility to attend Beacon the primer had been a calming read.

"Greetings, would you mind if I sat here?" a voice beside her asked and the heiress was about to offer a witty retort, but instead found herself momentarily stunned at the girl who had appeared beside her.

She was not much taller, but the interloper bore a striking resemblance to herself. White hair, pale skin and blue eyes, if the girl wouldn't have differed from her in…other aspects, Weiss would have thought she was a very elaborate copycat.

"Not really, but please be quiet" she told the older girl, who offered her a disarming smile and sat down across her. The stranger wore a knee long black skirt with dark leggings and combat boots, while her upper half was covered by a long-sleeved black blouse with puffy sleeves as well as a pinstripe waistcoat of black white and crimson. With great annoyance Weiss awaited the inevitable small talk with the other girl, who, much to her surprise had opened her own book, a great leather-bound tome.

So, the two girls sat in silence, but the more they sat the Schnee heiress couldn't take it and sneak glances at the other white-haired reader. This was supposed to be a single small glance, but her alcove partner was rather peculiar in her fashion and so the first small look became several because for such an attractive girl, she wore a lot of jewellery. Gold and ruby ring on her ring finger, while another elaborate brooch served as the pin for her cravat. Though Weiss had to admit the pieces looked good even with long white hair done into a tight bun, adorned with more golden hairpieces.

"I hope you know that it is impolite to stare, right?" with some amusement the other girl had spoken and the fencer flinched at the blunder she had committed, her etiquette teacher must be drinking herself silly, Weiss thought with chagrin, almost missing the outstretched hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry" she excused herself and reached for the outstretched hand. The other girl had closed her book and smiled as they shook each-other's hand

"Weiss Schnee" her companion's smile didn't change, maybe it was some trick of light, but her ring seemed to glow in shade as they floated through a cloud. This was just the trick of light, she supposed

"It's a pleasure to meet you Weiss" the girl released her hand and then she introduced herself

"Bella Drak in your service" her accent was definitely foreign "If you are wondering about my peculiar accent, it's because I hail from Vacuo"

For a Vacuoan, the girl seemed quite reserved, maybe she was a daughter of lesser nobility, while Atlas had dismantled such an unfair system, Weiss could see the perks of aristocracy. At the very least the calm and collected girl sitting across would be a bearable company, maybe even a friend.

"Say, what is that book about you're reading?"

**A.N. Well Shitty Kitty, gets what she deserves and what hubby would Vlad be if he let his waifu out of sight without some adequate protection :D **

**So here's a more plot filled chapter, but my Malekith fic takes the front row for now. I'm sorry about that as RWBY has let me down considerably these past seasons. **

**Hoping you all stay safe in this shitty Nurgle given plague, be happy and I'll see you next time. Oh, by the way, please leave a comment if you had something to say! -Spook**


End file.
